especially in the critical first hours after they diss appear. wjz is-- disappear. wjz is downtown, where mike hellgren has their emotional plea. >> reporter: this is legislation that would go beyond amber alerts, making anyone who is 17 and under who go missing a priority. and for barnes' family, it's a labor of love. >> reporter: the latest journey for phylicia barnes' loved ones in their quest for justice is in annapolis. >> i will never forget her. >> it will create mandatory guidelines for missing children, focusing on the first few moments after they disappear. phylicia's case didn't get immediate attention after she went missing. authorities conducted exhaustive searches and months later, found her murdered and floating in the susquehanna river. >> we knew that phylicia's character would not run away. we want to make sure other families do not go what we went through. >> it was at least 4 to 6 hours before something was done,

before someone even came out to even inquire about what was going on. >> reporter: under phylicia's law, there would be no mandatory law before beginning investigations, no police rules discouraging filing an immediate report. and state police would get involved in the child -- if the child is not found in 24 hours. >> the opposition, of course, is always going to be money and police believing, let us do our jobs and don't interfere with what we have to do. >> there hasn't been opposition to pregging children. there has been concern about, do we have the resources and manpower and coordination able to do it. >> reporter: as for phylicia, while her body has been found, her family says there have been no new leads in tracking down her killer. they hope her legacy will help others avoid the same fate. >> reporter: and city police have always defended the resources they put in to find phylicia, saying they worked around the clock to do so. state police are now handling the investigation. reporting live from police

headquarters, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> the house judiciary committee hearing held a hrling on phylicia's law today. it is unclear if it will pass this year. gas tax, a widely unpopular idea. but governor o'malley says it needs to be done. and he's taking his message to lawmakers this afternoon. wjz is live. derek valcourt with more on why the governor says we need it, and why many drivers insist we don't. derek? >> well, the major obstacle is sticker shock here at the pump. but the governor made the case today, that the state's roads and bridges need this money. >> reporter: governor o'malley makes his case to lawmakers, arguing an increase in the gas tax will create new jobs by allowing the county to get moving on long-delayed transportation projects. like the building of the red line. and o'malley says it will help ensure the safety of maryland's deteriorating roads and bridges. >> look. none of us wants to pay more at

the pump. we do not have to do this. but you here know that if we do not, we will pay for that, too. because inaction, especially in this case, does have a cost. >> reporter: but with gas prices up 24 cents from where they were just one month ago, adding to the gas tax infuriates many. >> definitely out of touch. >> reporter: including many protestors who brought their message to annapolis. >> if you're for jobs, you can't be for a big tax on people going to their jobs. >> reporter: and recent polls show these folks aren't alone. >> a survey by triple a mid- atlantic found 77% oppose the gas gas tarks. under the governor's plan, there could be a 2% increase for the next three years. >> per gallon, per mile, per day, it adds up. just too much right now. the economy is too fragile. >> that appears to be the sentiment shared by many in

annapolis. reluctant to share the increase. senate president mike miller says thinks they are unlikely to share this. >> we need to raise money. but i'm not sure this is the right way to do it. >> reporter: senate president mike miller has suggested that a gas tax increase might have more luck getting through in a special session later this year. but governor o'malley is pushing forward, asking lawmakers to go ahead and pass the increase before the end of this session. derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> all right, derek, thank you. we'll see what happens. maryland's current gas tax of 23.5 cents per gallon was set back in 1992. undercover police bust a prescription drug ring among maryland commuters. five people are charged with selling pills, including xanax at the cromwell light rail station. some of the suspects were also caught with marijuana. detectives went undercover for two days to make the arrest. a jury finds virginia tech

negligent for delaying a warning for a massacre on campus. jurors returned the verdict in a wrongful death lawsuit, for two students killed back in april 2007. the two believe their children might be alive today. the state of virginia has filed a motion to reduce the $8 million reward to the families. a series of earthquakes rattle japan today in the same region hit by last year's devastating tsunami. denise is in the newsroom with fresh concerns for people living in that area. >> the quake struck northeastern japan, triggering a small tsunami, east of tokyo. weather cameras caught the shaking in the capital today. several coastal communities also evacuated. and police closed airports and train stations for safety checks. so far, there are no reports of injuries or damage to nuclear power plants. this comes, of course, just a few days after the one-year anniversary of japan's massive earthquake and tsunami that

left 19,000 people dead or missing. mary? >> denise, thank you. complete coverage continues with meteorologist tim williams. he has more on the strength and the timing of these earthquakes. tim? >> reporter: well, mary, the first quake that rattled tokyo and northeast japan as mary mentioned was a strong 6.8 quake. it struck the southern coast of hokiteo island. causing a small tsunami. tsunami advisories were issued and lifted about 90 minutes ago. within three hours, a magnitude 6.18 shifted. but at nine miles below sea surface, this one was considered rather shallow and did not cause any damage at all. and it was located off the coast of chiva, which is off the coast of tokyo. >> tim, thank you. >> tim, thanks. on the campaign trail, rick santorum sweeps tuesday's southern primaries. and he's now urging newt gingrich to quit the republican race for president.

danielle nottingham reports for wjz, from washington with the latest. rick santorum is back on the campaign trail in puerto rico. he sat down with the governor, an old friend, who has already endorsed rival mitt romney and later held a town hall meeting. the former senator is riding high off a pair of victories in alabama and mississippi. and sounds confident about the road ahead. >> reporter: romney is working to slow down santorum's surge and will visit puerto rico later this week. romney's campaign and supporters have already spent more than $3 million on tv ads in illinois, ahead of that state's primary next week. romney doesn't just have the money. he is way ahead in the delegate race. he has collected more than all of the other gop white house hopefuls combined. >> reporter: santorum supporters are pushing newt gingrich to drop his presidential bid, in hopes of cutting into that lead.

gingrich finished second in tuesday's contest and shows no sign he's ready to quit. >> is that the elite media's effort to convince the nation that mitt romney is inevitable, just collapsed. >> reporter: the former house speaker is campaigning in illinois. he insists he's the best choice to challenge president obama in the fall. at the white house, danielle nottingham, wjz eyewitness news. >> the next contest for the gop candidates happen saturday, when voters in missouri head to their caucuses. puerto rico's primary is sunday. a milestone today at maryland's largest casino. the first 100 slot machines arrived this morning at arundel mills. it is the latest development for the maryland live casino, scheduled to open in june. it will be a month-long process to get all of these machines installed on the casino floor. we are enjoying yet another day of extremely warm weather. wjz found people sunbathing in this march heat in howard

county, while others stepped outside for a little lunch. outside right now, the sun is still shining. the temperatures hovering near 80 degrees. wjz is live with first warning weather. bob turk updating our incredible conditions we'll start with bob. st. louis is 86. chicago is 81. look at our temperatures right now around the region. most places, at least in the upper 70s. we're at 78. the only really cool places are by the ocean and the bay. ocean city at 62. and oakland at 68. and locally, 74, westminster. a little cooler by the bay, of course. 67, kent island. and annapolis at 68. so bernadette woods in the outback with a look again at these crazy temperatures. bernadette? >> we just continue to look at these facts. because this is officially winter. usually, our colder -- coldest time of the year. look how mild it has been. look at all of those days in the 50s. even 19 days in the 60s. and it has been a year of

extreme cold. take a look at this graphic here. zero days where we stayed in the 20s for our high. that is very rare. whereas contrasting that, we now have four days with highs in the 70s. and even hitting 80 degrees yesterday. and looks like we're going to add to those last two columns. over the next two days, these final official days of winter. we'll have your forecast coming up. now, back inside. >> thanks, bern. it's a trend across the country. all-electronic toll booth. and it could happen in maryland next. andrea fujii is there and explains not everyone is happy with the possible change. hi, andrea. >> hi, kai. if the maryland transportation authority has its way, all of these toll booths will soon become history. but it's far from a done deal. >> reporter: whether it's stopping to pay cash or slowing down for an ez-pass, there's always a delay, driving through toll booths. so the in -- maryland transportation authority is studying what it would take to

get rid of them. >> there's a customer convenience factor. also an environmental factor, not to have cars stop and idling in toll booths. >> reporter: they use all electronic tolls. and to convert the others would cost upwards of $187 million, money the mdta says they don't have yet. but the idea is already sparking concern from the federation of employees who represent the nearly 200 toll booth workers. >> we've had no discussions. and that's why we were demanding that the state sit down with the employees and the employee represent to work through that. >> the changeover would mean foe options to pay cash. >> reporter: ez-pass holders get 10% off. and those who don't have one will be billed by mail at 1 1/2 times the base rate. that? leaves drivers with mixed feelings. >> i think it would certainly make it easier on the roads and eliminate some of the traffic. >> everybody don't have an easy pass. and if you're going through the

toll and looking at the license, that's just like the flash cameras, then you're going to charge them another fee. >> this study should be done by the fall. and there's no set date on if or when the conversion would happen. >> reporter: now, the mdta says the state would eventually save money on the conversion. but it would take sometime to cover the initial costs. reporting live at the fort mchenry toll plaza, andrea fudge -- fujii. >> the mdta expects that the francis scott key bridge would likely be the first to go all electronic. maryland in the middle of a bizarre crime ring. why officials -- criminals are stealing laundry deturnent. and-- detergent. and how it could impact future doctors appointments. i'm mike schuh in little italy. from the creative minds. state of the art roller

coasters. a world record ride when we return. and just beautiful weather as we look at fort mchenry tonight. bob will let us know if there are any changes coming up in the first warning weather forecast. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it is being called liquid gold. we are talking about tide laundry detergent. police, including here in maryland say it's quickly becoming the target of thieves who are looking for a quick buck. >> containers of tide detergent are flying off store shelves as across the country. the problem is, some of it is being stolen. this is surveillance video of a major heist. patrick costanzo in st. paul, minnesota, pleaded guilty to stealing as much as $6,000 worth of detergent from wal mart.

why tide, at between $8 and $20 a bottle, a full cart like this is worth hundreds. police say it can be easily resold on the black market for less than retail price. and in some cases, they're selling the stuff directly for drugs. >> drug dealers have finally realized, i can take this $10 rock and go outside and have you steal something for $10 for it. or i can tell you, i want five bottles instead. once they steal five bottles of tide, they can turn them around and give them to me. i take them down to the dirty store down the road and sell them to them for $6 apiece. now that yields me $30. >> prince george's county has broken up at least one theft ring. >> reporter: favorite target of thieves, who have stolen thousands of dollars worth of tide. police arrested 18 people in one ring for stealing

detergent. most people aren't even awear. , wear. -- aware. >> reporter: now, they are placing security on tide to trigger alarms. >> and police say it is virtually impossible for police to trace it can no serial numbers. let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at wjz traffic control. how do you like this weather, kristy? >> kai, i love it. i wish it would stay like this forever. we have some problems to talk about there on the roadways. northbound direction. heavy there from shawan road to belfast. the west side inner loop, stop and go there from southwestern boulevard, around to security boulevard. expect about 15 minutes to get through. and the outer loop also heavy there -- from 70 to baltimore national pike. the north side outer loop, that's been a problem most of the afternoon. still heavy york to charles street. and northbound 95, bumper to bumper there from 32 to 175.

as far as accidents go in reisterstown, nicodemus road, in deer park road. old pimlico at rock hall hill. and also a fuel spill, st. paul at eager street. let's now take a live look, as you can see, it's going to take quite sometime to get through that nasty delay there on the west of york road. this traffic report is brought to you by bill's carpet, hardwood and laminate, too. call them at 1-877-75-bills. back to you. >> thanks, kristy. mayor stephanie rawlings- blake is calling on the business community to empower city youth one at a time. monique griego is there to kick off the higher campaign. >> mayor stephanie rawlings- blake got down with the girls of western high school, with the hopes of opening up summer jobs for students. it keeps them more focused. keeps them more focused on what they want to be growing up. off the street.

>> senior rachel madison got her start in the career world, through the city's youth works program. >> it was very influential in the ways i learned a lot of skills before i started with youth works. i got to work with a lot of people, so it was a more mature environment. today, the mayor had a message for the business community to help increase that number. >> one, two, three. >> the higher one youth campaign calls on all local businesses to hire at least one student this summer. >> employers have the opportunity to build tomorrow's work force today. and teach them the necessary skills to be successful. >> reporter: youth works provides opportunities for young adults, ages 14 to 21. so far this year, several new employers have signed up. but the city needs more to meet the demand. >> they should do it because we need more youth to be off the streets and focused on education. >> reporter: monique griego,

wjz eyewitness news. >> businesses interested in joining the program can sign up on the city's website. employers do have the opportunity to interview and select the students they hire. >> all right, bob just a spectacular day again. >> it is just unprecedented. especially for march. look at this. 78 degrees. and humidity is 21%. north winds at 5. it's been an unbelievably beautiful day. barometer holding steady. come back and take a look at a warmer day tomorrow. yeah, it's possible, right after this. ,,,,

girl: i want to tell you about my friend. his name is ben. ben learned about a homeless boy who had an infected tooth, and the boy died. that made ben really sad. he wrote a law so every kid can see a dentist. we have special dental van that goes from school to school. he even helps make sure we learn how to brush our teeth. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

now, it's just been an unbelievable day. the sun is going to be out there until 7-something. get out there and enjoy it. but we have more of these days on the way. and it's not just here. all up and down the east coast, right now new york is 71. chicago is 81. south of us, low 80s everywhere. let's take a look at temperatures here. we're still at 78. that's pretty much the same temperature up in washington, hagerstown, cumberland just dropped to 76. the cool spot by the ocean. ocean water temperatures in the upper 40s right now.

it's going to stay pretty chilly for a long time. 62. 72, pax river. and up in the mountains, even oakland at 68 degrees. and locally, the only cool readings right near the bay. kent island, 67. and annapolis as well. 70, hock raul. -- rock hall. it's just crazy for this time of year. we told you so many times how warm this winter has been and how warm this month has been. right now, we have a light, northwest breeze. a very dry air mass. so very dry air mass, and these warm temperatures, the woodlands, grass, the leaves, the sticks in the woods are very dry. please be very careful. there really is an extreme fire danger. and that's going to continue until we get decent rain. doesn't look like we'll see a whole lot of it. there will be a front to our north and northeast tomorrow. right now, boston dropped into the 40s. because there's winds coming off the boston bay, cape cod bay. the ocean is coal. so if that front can make it

into delaware, elkton may drop into the 40s and 50s. over the next couple of days, we may have to drop that front. looks like it will stay to our north. so it will be cooler. but our part of the world, looks like it will stay on the warm, may-like temperatures for the next several days. it will be slightly cooler because we did expect to see some clouds. and also a slight turn to the southeast wind, which also might drop temperatures. look at this. not a cloud in sight around the region at this point. nothing. there's a little rain, sleet and freezing rain and snow. in extreme northern maine, where it's 28 degrees up in caribou. high pressure moving off the east coast. stays on the warm side. slight risk of scattered shower activity. southeast winds, 5 to 10 knots. bay temp, around 50 degrees. so it's warmed up a little bit. 49, the low tonight. clear skies, just a comfortable, mild night. back up to 80 tomorrow. i think west of the city, frederick could get it mid-80s tomorrow afternoon, which will

be very close to records. record tomorrow is 82. we'll be very close to that and a lot of sunshine all day long. >> all right, bob. thank you. so nice. still ahead at 5:00. downtown boston, covered in smoke. what caused this fire to knock out power to more than 20,000 people? an oscar winner brings his message to capital hill. why george clooney is testifying in washington today. boosting dollars to the classroom. why city school leaders are spending more on students. i'm gigi barnett. that story is next. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

it's 5:30. 78 degrees and sunny. good evening. thanks for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. money is getting moved around in baltimore city schools. and it's heading right to the students. wjz and gigi barnett are live to explain the new plan will likely mean more cuts at school headquarters. hi, gigi. >> hi, kai. well, the school district says its number one priority has always been the students. and now it's just time to put the money where its mouth is.

>> reporter: this is where city school leaders want to spend the bulk of their cash, in the classroom, on every student. the district unveiled its plan this week. it is shifting more money to schools, even though the school system's bottom line is staying the same. >> we're going to get more of that slice of the pie to schools to make sure they can maintain the staffing and programs. that's our first priority. it's always been our first priority. >> reporter: michael frist is the school's chief financial officer and in charge of all of the cash. last year, the district spent about $5,000 per student. next year, frist says it will add about $550 more. that's an 11% boost. some parents are telling principals to spend it wisely. >> i don't know that that boost is going to letler do everything she want -- let her do everything she want toss do. they'll still have to make conscientious decisions. >> reporter: with more money heading to the classrooms, cuts must must come from somewhere.

most likely central office. >> we've had to do more with less. and we still thrng -- think there is room there to become more efficient. >> reporter: that fortunate could help. -- efficiency could happen. the skate statehas already told school leaders not to expect any more cash. it has money problems of its own to the tune of $1.2 billion budget shortfall. >> we always have to live one our means. you have to live within your means, i have to, and so does the school system. >> reporter: they hope to have their budget ready for a final vote next month. kai, back to you. >> altogether, the district plans to spend an extra $32 million to students. a bill to protect maryland children from secondhand smoke is one step closer to a bill today. they passed a bill to prohibit drivers from smoking in cars if a child under 8 is a passenger.

opponents say the bill goes too far because it regulates behavior in private property. it now moves to the house of delegates for consideration. crews are working to get several areas of boston back online after a transformer fire cuts off power to a large part of the city. vic is in the newsroom with how many people are still in the dark. >> kai, about 11,000 people are still without power. the power knocked out to about 21,000 homes and businesses. firefighters worked to get the blaze under control. no serious injuries were reported. the cause of that fire is under investigation. kai, back to you. >> vic, thank you. crews open to have electricity restored tonight. just days after an american soldier is accused of killing 16 afghans. rita nissan reports for wjz, on pineta's trip and the investigation. >> reporter: secretary of defense leon pineta arrived in afghanistan for what is expected to be a difficult

visit. even his landing was tense. the pentagon says an afghan man drove a stolen pickup truck onto the runway, then crashed into a ditch. officials say pineta was never in danger. his trip was planned two months ago, but now has new urgency, since a soldier went on a shooting spree. >> tragic as these events of violence have been, they do not define the relationship between the coalition and afghan forces and the afghan people. >> reporter: the u.s. military says the 38-year-old staff sergeant accused of slaughtering 16 villagers has been flown out of afghanistan to a facility in another country. an afghan official says their surveillance video of the suspect, walking to his base, laying down his weapon, and surrendering. the taliban has promised revenge. wednesday, a bomb, hidden in a motorcycle, exploded not far

from the delegation, investigating the shooting. the explosion destroyed a building and killed intelligence officials. opened fire on government officials attending a service for the villagers. pineta is set to meet with tribal leaders, as well as president hamid karzire during his -- karzai during his two- day visit. >> the pentagon says no explosives or weapons were found in the truck that raced onto the runway as pineta arrived. authorities aren't sure if it was an attempted attack or just a coincidence. meantime, prime minister david cameron is visiting washington to discuss britain's role in the afghan war. he, along with president obama, say the outbreak of violence in afghanistan will not stop troops if shifting to a support role next year. the two leaders spoke about the issue today, at the white house. both still plan on handing security over to the cabul

government -- kabul government in 2014. riveting testimony today from oscar-winning actor george clooney on capitol hill. the actor is in washington to testify about the humanitarian crisis. the two countries battle over oil shipments. clooney, who just returned from a visit to the region, described for a senate committee how he came under rocket attack and witnessed violence attacks against children. >> we got there and found children filled with shrapnel, including a 9-year-old boy, who had both of his hands blown off. these are not military targets. these are innocent, men, women and children. now, that is a fact. >> clooney also pointed out that the fight over oil in the sedan region is contributing to rising gas prices in america. he filmed much of -- of the suffers he witnessed on a documentary. cervical cancer screening.

teresa garcia says, the recommendations say women should be tested less often. >> reporter: 24-year-old avery miller gets screened for cervical cancer every year. >> i started seeing a gynecologist when i was 18. and i've had a yearly pap since then. >> reporter: under the guidelines, healthy women, like miller, will be screened less often. the task force says women ages 21 to 65 only need to have a pap test every three years. >> it is as effective in reducing cancer deaths as annual screening, but we have substantially less false positive tests. >> reporter: doctors say overscreening is leading to ung necessary procedures -- unnecessary procedures that could lead to complications in pregnancies. low risk women can be tested every five years if they get an hpv test at the same time.

hpv, or the human papilloma virus is the main cause of cancer. but some think it's too long. >> to think that five years is appropriate might be a stretch too far. >> reporter: doctors say new documentation for less screening do not mean women should skip their annual checkup. >> there are many facets, regarding things like contraception, breast health, bone health. >> reporter: miller plans to get tested as often as her doctor recommends. >> if she really believes this is okay for me and what is best and i'll be safe screening every three years, then i would go with that. >> reporter: and she will still see her doctor, every year for a checkup. in new york, i'm teresa garcia, wjz eyewitness news. >> the american cancer society, and other health groups, released similar recommendations today. we have breaking news out of annapolis now. sky eye chopper 13 is over the scene. let's go to captain mike perry

with more. mike, what's going on? >> hello, kai. we've just had a medivac from the naval academy ice ring. this is located obviously on the north side of the severn river, across the naval academy. firefighters called here a short time ago, for a traumatic injury. it's not clear who was injured or how they were injured. but we know it occurred at the naval academy. firefighters called for a medivac. trooper 6 landed here. the patient loaded on board and is now en route to shock trauma. on a second note, there was also a second medivac here. an infant was taken to a local fire station. and that infant is now also being medivacced to -- correction, to johns hopkins, children's center, with an unknown injury. obviously, it's serious or they wouldn't have sent him there. but two separate medivacs from the annapolis area. back to you. >> thank you, captain mike perry, reporting live. and now for a look at the baltimore sun. the city school system has paid

out tens of millions of dollars in a rare but controversial perk. micah is bringing fine art to the masses, via a vending machine which dispences art. and -- dispenses art. and a mobile app which tells you which ones work and which don't. remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. baltimore is known for its crab cakes. the star spangled banner, ravens, orioles. but how about roller coasters? mike schuh explains, the center for roller coaster design is not at disney or universal studios, but here in charm city. >> reporter: it's hard to think who made your roller coaster when you're busy screaming. but the fingerprints for every scream, every twist, and every turn, can be traced here to baltimore. >> and then the engineers here are turning those from -- really from a dream to reality. >> reporter: jim saons owns

ride. if his clients can dream it up, they can build it in shops in baltimore, cincinnati and salt lake city. >> we just did a big attraction in indonesia, where we exported, you know, over a million pounds of fabricated steel, made in the united states, to indonesia. >> reporter: from $5 to $25 million each. about 30 of these multimillion dollar mammoths have been designed and built by premiere. it's enough to be one of the top three coaster manufacturers in the world. now, the world is coming to them. next stop, beijing. >> reporter: they can't go into a lot of details. but their new coaster in china will set a world record. it will be the tallest indoor roller coaster in the world. in a building, bigger than m&t bank stadium. bigger than that new stadium they built for the dallas cowboys. >> reporter: once an arrow space engineer -- arrow space engineer. >> they come off of our attractions. and they're all high fiving each other.

they've had this amazing thrill. and it's pretty cool to be able to do something like that. . >> reporter: in baltimore, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. >> soon, the company will be signing -- designing a coaster for the most first miewp amusement park -- amusement park in india. the company says they're always expanding and looking for qualified engineers. >> amazing. i'm just holding on. even the simulation. >> is it making you nervous? queasy? >> queasy. i'm getting old, kai. coming up on eyewitness news. a ski trip and total disaster. details on an accident killed dozens during a vacation to switzerland. we're waiting for a verdict on the case of a college student accused of spying on his roommate. bob turk in the first warning weather center. how much longer can these warm weather temperatures last? i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. and here's today's report from wall street. we'll

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any possible that tomorrow could be as nice as today? bernadette woods is in the outback with a look at that forecast. we have clouds coming in tomorrow. this is how the day starts, mostly sunny skies. we're in the 50s. then as we head in the afternoon, the clouds start to come in. but we're still in the upper 70s. we could hit 80 degrees tomorrow. by tomorrow evening, those temperatures start to drop. but we will see more clouds start to drop around. that could lead to more showers overnight. for the rest of the five-day, here's bob. and we might get shower activity by the end of the night if we really need it. 71. it may be significantly warmer or cooler, depending on that frontal boundary. that temperature is a little harder to predict today. 52 tonight. mid60 with -- mid-60s with showers. clearing out, upper 60s to mid- 70s again. looks like next week, back into the midoururn 70s -- mid or upper 70s again.

in today's energy saver, think about a home performance review. a certified expert can look at energy issues throughout your entire home. you will get an energy audit of your home, which includes visual testing and inspecting. rebates of 20% can come from it. for more information on how you can become an energy saver, go to wjz.com, zell down to the right-hand side. -- scroll down to the rebound side -- right-hand side of the page and click on special section. a bus carrying school children on a ski trip, slams into the tunnel wall in the ski alps. 28 people are killed, including 22 children. investigators say it appears the children were wearing seat belts and the bus was not speeding. a gunman is in custody in texas, after he walks up to a kraus and -- courthouse and opened fire. police say the man was there with relatives when the shooting began, killing one person and wounding three others. investigators say the man then got into his truck and drove

several blocks before police caught up with him. the investigation is ongoing. the case that made national headlines and sparked discussion about bullying and privacy is now in the hands of a jury. daroon ravi is accused of using a web cam to spy on his gay roommate who later committed suicide. randall pinkston has more from the courthouse. >> reporter: daroon ravi showed no signs of being nervous as the judge put his fate in the hands of the jury. >> you and your jury will take this case, decide without bias, passion, or prejudice to either side. >> reporter: ravi is charged with 15 criminal counts for using his web cam to spy on his rutgers roommate, kissing another man, then inviting others to watch. the roommate, tyler clemente, later committed suicide, by jumping off the george washington bridge. before deliberations began, judge glen berman gave instructions. >> the state has the burden of proving the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

>> in the end, ravi decided not to testify in his own defense. >> reporter: in addition to invasion of privacy, prosecutors accused him of a hate crime, bias intimidation. >> to intimidate means to put another person in fear. that charge could bring a prison term to 10 years. the defense said ravi was just 18 and meant no harm. >> here's hate. where is there some information, evidence to support it? >> the prosecution painted a very different picture. >> the defendant's actions were mean-spirited, they were plalicious, -- malicious, they were crim. >> reporter: it's now up to the jury to decide which of those pictures is right and if ravi is guilty. in new jersey, randall pinkston, wjz eyewitness news. >> ravi will likely only get jail time if he is convicted of one of the two of the second- degree bias intimidation charges he faces.

check in for the news stories coming up. paying a price at the pump. the government's latest push to raise prices. a monumental problem. the newest issue at the washington monument. and the work to make sure the landmark is safe. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news, of course. now back to kai. denise, thank you. president obama gets caught up in march madness. today, the president filled out his ncaa bracket pool and selected the ncaa. we want you to try your hand at the wjz asus bracket challenge. you can challenge marty, mark, stan, bob, tim, bernadette, mary, adam, don and jessica, plus personalities from 105.7, the fan. you can find the link under quick link at wjz.com. >> and i think you can find the president's bracket on like

white house.com, right? >> and challenge the president. only to basketball. still to come tonight on wjz's eyewitness news. the ravens say goodbye to some popular players who are leaving town as free agents. mark has details coming up. ,

football agents are shopping new teams. and the ravens have flown the coop. >> well, kai, the nfl free agency game is equal parts excitement over who may be arriving and disappointment over who is departing. and the ravens suffer some of that disappointment today, as they lose long-time linebacker areaet johnson. he's heading to san diego. johnson played all nine seasons of his career with the ravens. and he is the team's all-time ironman. he leaves with a team record streak intact, 130 games straight played. johnson grew in versatility and popularity, from the day the ravens drafted him from alabama in 2003. now, 30 years old, he signs a four-year deal with the chargers. and another starter on

defense is gone. tackle cory redding. he takes the free-agent route to indianapolis. redding joins chuck pagano who is the colts new head coach. redding played two seasons with the ravens. he signs a three-year deal with indy. the colds have also been in contact with ravens free agent linebacker jameel mcclain. and the ravens are expected to lose, starting offensive liner, ben grubbs. he's been meeting with the new orleans saints. grubs is likely to get a big money deal that the ravens cannot match because of the salary cap. preparing to see grubs go, the ravens are expected to meet with eagles guard math iis -- mathis. also, we'll hear from the loyola basketball team on the eve of their tournament battle with ohio state. plus, orioles highlights, all of that in spring training. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news.

governor o'malley, testifying in support of this bill. these folks calling it highway robbery. i'm derek valcourt, with both sides to the gas tax debate coming up on eyewitness news. ,,

coming up right now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. fighting over prices at the pump. the new push to raise gas prices and how that money would be spent. taking time. -- tide. the reason the detergent is becoming such a popular target

for thieves. phylicia's law. i'm mike hellgren in annapolis, with the family of the murdered teenager, how they're trying to make sure others don't suffer the same fate. you can't ask for much better weather in march, or really any other time. we'll let you know if you can sleep with your windows open tonight if your first warning weather forecast. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. battle the pump. protest in annapolis, as the governor pushes his gas tax proposal. >> where he wants to spend the extra money, and why he says maryland be worse without it. >> hello, everybody. i'm de