republican primary opponents. instead, focused on the president and the economy and touted a new endorsement by former florida governor jeb bush. >> ladies and gentlemen, governor, soon to be president, mitt romney. >> reporter: it's rare maryland gets this much attention during the presidential primary. and maryland republicans warmly welcomed mitt romney. >> the president said, by the way, that if he was newly elected and didn't turn the economy around in 1 to five years, he would be looking to turn around. we're here to collect. >> reporter: significant because this is the home of former governor ehrlich, who is chairman of romney's campaign. >> i contribute that to ehrlich. >> i think he's precisely the type of republican that romney wants to be associated with. so even though maryland won't go for mitt romney in november.

>> while some criticize romney for a lack of passion. >> come out and vote for romney. vote early. >> reporter: it's the kind of momentum he needs, building on a big win in illinois. >> i think our country absolutely needs an experienced businessman. >> i feel like of everyone, he's been straightforward. >> as i have gone across the country, i have been more optimistic because of the patriotism i hear, the passion for america, the innovative experience of our people that has brought home to me time and time again. >> reporter: as romney tries to clinch the nomination, they are ramping up their campaign. president obama was in maryland just last week. >> reporter: and let's take a live look inside the american legion, where mitt romney is shaking a number of hands. there's a huge crowd. a lot of people here outside, to gather a glimpse of mr.

romney. maryland's primary is april 3rd. 37 delegates are at stake here. reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> stay with complete coverage of campaign 2012. we'll continue to bring you the latest on air and online. wjz.com. putting baltimore on a budget. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake reveals a spending plan for the city that is already causing controversy. we'll is live at city hall. political reporter pat warren is breaking down the preliminary proposal for us. >> that's right. the mayor is looking for cuts that will allow the city to give property tax homeowners a 2-cent tax break. >> reporter: the budget includes the first two-cent installment of a plan to reduce homeowner property taxes by 20% over the next eight years, which will eventually be offset by slots revenue. >> we knew at the time that we developed the plan that the slots probably wouldn't be open. so we knew we could do that through some of the innovative

ways we were saving. >> reporter: city employees for the first time in recent years, won't have to take mandatory furlough days. they will also have to pay higher costs for benefits. the mayor will permanently close three fire companies. the budget also eliminates 231 positions, most of them unfilled. >> we're looking to have an efficient government. >> reporter: according to the mayor, closing three fire companies is in keeping with that efficiency. >> it gives some permanency, reliability. and it allows the department to plan, every day. you know, whatever day of the week it is, for those closures, so they can respond more efficiently to calls. >> the fire union calls it risky. >> our job basically is to save the citizens of baltimore and do what we can for them. and with the resources being cut, it makes our job harder. i don't care who says what. it makes our job a hell of a lot harder. >> reporter: the mayor says the

city would also consolidate the 911 and 311 call centers. >> and those budget cuts would help fill a $48 million deficit in a $3 million budget. reporting, i'm pat warren. >> the new budget takes effect july 1st. trying to run down a police officer on maryland's eastern shore is captured by police. vic is in the newsroom with details of that arrest. >> reporter: after a three-day search, police catch the suspect here in baltimore. officers capture demetrius dembe. police have been looking since sunday morning. that officer suffered a broken ankle. dembe is now charged with attempted murder and assault on a law enforcement officer. >> police transported him back to the eastern shore, where he's being held without bail. >> police are revealing more about a violent fight in owings mills. detectives say three people were stabbed during an argument

at a townhouse on spectator lane. police say the victims and suspects knew each other and the fights stem from a previous disagreement. investigators still looking into reports of a gunshot nearby. and police expect to file charges soon. the man suspected of terror spree in france is refusing to give himself up to police. tina kraus reports for wjz, with the latest on this tense standoff. >> reporter: french police teams are preparing to storm an apartment building in the city of taluz, to capture a suspected killer. they have been locked in a tense standoff, with mohammed merr ra, who shot at them early this morning. police say the 24-year-old french man drove to a local jewish school on his motorcycle monday and killed teacher jonathan sadlers his two young sons and a little girl. hundreds of mourners gathered in jerusalem to bury the victim. the french foreign minister flew to israel for the fume and vowed the country would fight

hate crimes. president nicolas sarkozy, who is running for re-election in five weeks, says france must remain united. police also believe merra murdered three french soldiers at ana tm earlier this month and again escaped on a motorcycle. france's interior minister says the suspect claims to have connection with al qaeda. he says merra was reportedly seeking payback for the killing of palestinian children in the middle east and the french army's involvement in afghanistan. afghan authorities say merra was arrested for bomb making in kandahar five years ago, but escaped during a taliban prison break. tina kraus, wjz eyewitness news. >> police say the suspect injured at least two officers in the raid when he shot at them from a window. an unusual hazmat response in baltimore county. firefighters say a 10,000- gallon tank is leaking a tar- like substance on ebenezer road

on whitemarsh. the department of the environment is trying to contain the spill. investigators believe vandals are responsible for the leak. the human conditions are hanging around. lots of clouds out there tonight. and it's still much warmer than normal for early spring. let's check in with bob turk. >> so far, only one actual shower or thundershower showing up. it's way down across dorchester and wicomico county. otherwise, still lots of clouds. but mild temperatures. take a look at numbers. 70 in easton. ocean city, down by the ocean, we're at 62. 68. normal high is at 55. so we're still way above normal. looks like tomorrow, even warmer air coming in from the south and southwest. record-breaking warmth expected across the ohio valley. much of new england may be even portions of northern maryland could get very close to some records the next few days. temperatures approaching the 80- degree mark once again, mary. >> okay. sounds great, bob. our warm weather is providing a

boost to the cherry blossom festival in close-by washington, d.c. jessica kartalija has more on the trees in full bloom. jessica? >> reporter: that's exactly right, mary. a lot of people had plans to come down here next week. but because of these warm conditions, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom now through the end of the weekend. and people are coming from all over maryland and across the country to see them. >> magical. >> reporter: in washington, d.c., the perfect day for a picnic. >> it's all very, very pretty. >> reporter: or even a spot of tea. >> we call it tea on the tidal basin. it's so much fun to pull out the fine china and silverware and do it all right. >> reporter: the anniversary of the japanese giving 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the united states. a symbol of the blooming friendship between the two countries.

>> reporter: why do you think it's important that people see something like this. >> this is also a good reminder that people can say thank you in many ways. >> we're here to come see the cherry blossoms, have lunch, and a couple of beverages. [ laughter ] >> reporter: the cherry blossom festival typically runs two weeks, but they've extended it three more in honor of the centennial. >> so this year's festival is going to tell the story, how this amazing gift has now become the nation's greatest spring-time celebration. >> beautiful. >> reporter: it's also the first time visitors can take in the view from the martin luther king, jr., memorial. >> it's beautiful. you just can't get that kind of feel anywhere else. >> reporter: and of course, we have been caulking around all day. and each picture that you take is more beautiful than the next. we think we can't get a more picture perfect shot than of the memorial behind me, the washington monument. and of course, mlk memorial.

a little difficult from your vantage point. but to the right, just absolutely beautiful here. a million people are expected to come to the tidal basin to check out the cherry blossoms this year. we're live with wjz. jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. well, the experts say peak bloom is today through saturday. just looks as beautiful as the trees down there. >> she really did. >> gorgeous. still ahead on wjz's eyewitness news at 5:00. protests. as the circus arrives. in baltimore, the controversy for the greatest show on earth. nationwide outrage over the death of a florida teenager. new sptz for the family of trayvon martin. breaking records. i'm derek valcourt at the nation's capital, where they're honoring one of maryland's two u.s. senators. i'll tell you who and why, coming up on eyewitness news. and it's an overcast wednesday night. but down in d.c., it's just picture-perfect. that is another view of the

cherry blossom festival. stay with us. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

church property, set on fire. it is a crime set on one baltimore congregation. as gigi barnett reports, the church has found a way to replace what it lost. >> we're going to put more buss on the road. >> reporter: hours before daybreak, phillip hall referred an important phone call. he arrived and saw this. >> two fire engines. four or five police cars. and just a whole lot of smoke. >> reporter: one of the church's five buses was on fire. the blaze was so hot, it scorched a second bus next to it. investigators believe someone set the overnight blaze. but the reason why is still a mystery.

>> i couldn't believe that someone would do that. especially to church property. >> i don't know if it was for kicks. all we can do is pray for the person that did this. because there is obviously something wrong with them. >> reporter: the heat char windows and shattered seats. >> the biggest thing that upsets me is the fact that you're denying children the chance to come here and be part of the church family. and the families. that's what breaks my heart. >> reporter: in a surprising twist of fate, members of the church went on online. and in the last 48 hours, they raised nearly $then,000. almost enough to buy two buses. >> our church has always taught us, when something happens, just get back up. don't lay down. just continue to fight. >> reporter: and there was some thought there accelerant may have been used to catch the bus on fire. firefighters say that is still

something they have to look into. >> investigators say they have ruled the fire as an arson. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the traffic with kristy breslin. if you're traveling on the west side outer loop, we have a crash there at wilkens avenue, blocking the two right-hand lanes. that's going to definitely cost you a few minutes. on the west side inner loop, slow there from southwest boulevard, over to 70. north side inner loop delays, now stretch from charles street to dulaney valley road. at least 20 minutes to get through that delay. and the harrisburg expressway, a lot of brake lights in that northbound direction, from shawan to belfast. 70 westbound, another 15-minute delay there. accidents include richie highway, alt 11th avenue. east lombard at front street. and also, pennsylvania avenue, at baker street. let's take a live look. you can see there on the national pike. traffic does seem to be easing up. a little good news for you there. this traffic report is brought to you by volunteers of

america. where 100% of proceed goes to helping people in our area. go online and donate a car now. >> thank you, kristy. record-breaking politician. some of the nation's top political leaders pay special tribute to senator barbara mikulski. mikulski is the longest-serving congressional woman in u.s. history. >> barbara mikulski first came here to washington in 1977. now, 35 years later, she has served in congress, longer than any other woman ever. >> reporter: from the start, and throughout her career, she's been a fierce advocate for her state. >> people in maryland are angry. >> reporter: this weekend, barbara mikulski made the history books for the amount of time she spent in congress. >> it's not just that she's the longest-serving female in the history of congress. it's what she's done in office. >> reporter: they helped pay tribute to her today for her many milestones. the first woman to serve in both chambers. the first democratic woman ever

elected to the senate in her own right. when she arrived, she was only one of two women in the senate. today she's one of 17. >> and so many of us are here in the senate because barbara mikulski knocked out the barriers, one by one. >> i didn't start out wanting to be a historic figure. >> reporter: many in baltimore remember personal stories. >> i bought this house from her. because she had bought this house because in the path of the highway. >> she does maryland very well. she helps us. and she's good for the whole country. >> reporter: but it's the people of maryland to whom mikulski says she will be eternally grateful. >> i want them to know, that though i've served in the senate, 12,982 days, i will never forget them. and every morning i'm saying in my heart, good morning, can i help you? >> reporter: mikulski still has four years on her current term, which means it could be another time before another

congresswoman breaks her record. in washington, derek valcourt, wjz eyewitness news. >> former senator paul sarbanes, martin o'malley and were all on hand. >> no matter your politics, she's always so friendly. mary, how are you? and you go, good, senator. how are you? she's a doll. >> she's been commuting from baltimore to d.c., every day -- >> for all that time. let's take a look at temps temps and conditions. another warm day here as well. not quite as warm as tomorrow. barometer holding steady. come back and take a look at another warm end of this week after this. the cherry blossom festival under way right now, in our nation's capital. here are some of the beautiful themes from the tidal basin. the trees are blooming earlier. due to that mild weather. ,,,,

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.

welcome back, everyone. i'm jessica kartalija. we're here, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom,

peeking earlier this -- peaking earlier this year, thanks to all of this warm weather we have been having. for the latest on the conditions, here's bob. >> everything is blooming a month ahead of schedule. i've seen trees, never blooming this way before. everything is way ahead of its schedule. it has been so mild this month. averaging 13 to 14 degrees above normal. right now, still about 13 degrees above normal. 68 here and in washington. 61 in ocean city. and 70 over in easton. the only really warm spot there, with more sunshine. tomorrow, with more sun. everybody, i think, will be in the mid- to upper 70s. might even get to 80 degrees, some spots. 66, rock hall by the bay there, kent island, at 62, the same with annapolis. westminster, pleasant. very light winds. and the moisture in the atmosphere, off the ocean. that flow still has plenty of moisture around. eastern shore, delaware, and patchy fog west of the bay, by tomorrow morning.

we saw school delays this morning. i expect to probably see some more again tomorrow. not much moving here in the east. out to the west of us, a lot of rain. loselouisiana texas. shower and thunderstorm activity. low pressure there is spinning right there. just dragging that moisture out of the gulf of mexico. some areas in louisiana and portions of east texas and southwest missouri, arkansas. four, five, six, seven inches of rain with flooding in that area. widely scattered showers. in portions of virginia, the carolinas, and of course the mountain areas of southwest virginia. nothing here in baltimore. one shower we found around dorchester and somerset, wicomico county. pretty much done right now. probably another shower activity, i think, until maybe friday night, when the system out to the west gets a little closer. in the meantime, very warm conditions, all across the east. north of that front in new england, it will cool down. but the next day or so, temperatures probably at 80 or

even better to our north. might get to 80 here as well. and then it will cool down somewhat, with a risk of showers late friday night. best chance on the weekend. and we really need the rain now. south winds around 5 knots. very light winds on the bay. bay temp around 53. tonight, lotsed of clouds. -- lots of clouds. 51 by morning. 79 degrees tomorrow. with the fog burning off and the low clouds finally clearing with some sunshine by afternoon. the more sun we get, the better chance it gets to 79. otherwise, still in the low to mid-70s, expected. >> we will enjoy. thanks, bob. >> still ahead at 5:00. a record drug bust at a nearby airport. the dangerous way one woman is accused of trying to bring five pounds of heroin into the country. i'm andrea fujii in cape st. claire, where police said this 33-year-old man tried to kill his own mother. and it's how he tried to do it that has shocked neighbors. that's just ahead. cyber bullying death threats and the threat of

suicide in arundel high school. i'm mike schuh, what's being done about it? ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

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it's 5:29. good evening. thank you for staying with eyewitness news. here are some of the stories talking about tonight. the victim is now recovering at shock trauma. wjz is live. andrea fujii has the stunned reaction from the woman's neighborhood. andrea? >> well, kai, friends say it is upsetting enough to know that the 61-year-old woman was attacked by her own son. but now they're finding out how she was hurt. >> people on hazel nut court in cape st. claire say they have never seen so much activity. he attacked his mother with a hammer tuesday night. >> there's some sort of dispute inside the home with her and her 33-year-old son. things escalated, resulting in a violent attack. >> reporter: it was in this town home, where no one answered that police say she was hit in the head and torso

and somehow managed to walk next door for help. >> it's a sad thing. because she is a nice lady. and nobody deserves to be treated that way. >> reporter: most neighbors didn't want to be on camera but say they saw the son run behind the home. >> reporter: police searched in this wooded area for about an hour and a half, with the search dog and a helicopter and finally found him. >> reporter: neighbors say the victim is a single mother and her son who has no criminal record in maryland, occasionally lived with her. friends are relieved she survived, but now worry for her future. >> i think it's very sad that not only does she have to recuperate, but she has to deal with the fact that it's her son. >> ben scoader now faces several charges, including second-degree attempted murder and assault. reporting live, andrea fujii, wjz eyewitness news. >> andrea, thank you. the woman is in serious but stable condition. continued calls today for the arrest of a florida neighborhood watch leader who fatally shot an unarmed teenager. vic is in the newsroom with more on the growing outage in

this case. -- outrage in this case. >> reporter: many people are demanding the rest of george zimmerman, the man accused of the death of tray von taylor -- the young man, whose name is actually martin, shot him to death. zimmerman said he felt threatened and fired at martin. some claim zimmerman confronted him martin, after deeming he is suspicious because he's african american. >> members of trayvon's family plan to join a demonstration in new york city tonight. it is called the million hoody march in reference to the clothing martin was wearing when he was shot. in anne arundel county, police are now involved in a case of cyber bullying. as mike schuh reports, the incident came to attention of adults after a teen victim wrote on an internet site that she might kill herself. >> reporter: for one senior at

arundel high, it's been a tough year. on the website, read it, the girl writes she is suicidal. she said at the beginning of the year, i have been harassed at school and online by the bully sarah. she says -- the gotten to the point where the school will not take action unless i kill myself. she says the bully wrote, go kill yourself, no one would care if you died. >> reporter: in her posting, sarah said months ago, she went to school officials about the bullying, but nothing was done. >> reporter: she said the harassment continued. sare is has a boyfriend and i'm still single. time to die, sarah. people flood the school and its principal with e-mails. >> we began in the early morning hours of wednesday morning, trying to figure out who the student was. >> reporter: that morning, they quiz every sarah as they walk in. >> when the student arrived at school at 7:00, she was met by administrators and her counselor. >> reporter: by law, he's limited as to what he can say,

but her classmates are not. >> i think it's a pretty serious problem. >> how much has this been talked about? >> a lot. i hear about it in almost every class. >> this parent feels the ultimate responsibility is with the parents. >> you don't ever talk like we expect our kids to love each other and be kind. and to treat each other as well. >> the principal declined the interview. >> the principal gave one of her 15-minute lectures, corresponding to the whole bullying thing about how it's not acceptable. >> reporter: the male student has been suspended and could be expelled or sent to an alternative high school. as for sarah, she writes that she's doing okay. and thanked the online community for stepping in to help. mike schuh, reporting live, back to you. >> anne arundel county police say they have opened the case, but no charges have been filed against the young man. the lawyer for an american soldier accused of killing 16 afghan civilians will travel to

afghanistan to investigate the case. john henry brown says he questions the evidence against his client and will gather his own information during that visit. staff sergeant robert bales has not confessed and says he does not remember the massacre. he's expected to be charged before the end of the week. a nigerian woman is charged in an unusual drug bust. customs agents say the woman flew from ethiopia to the united states, with nearly five pounds of heroin inside her stomach. a security officer noticed the woman's stomach was abnormally stiff during a routine patdown. she was taken to the hospital, where agents say she expelled 180 pellets of heroin, worth $150,000. controversy surrounding the circus. ringling brothers is away from baltimore starting tonight. and folks heading to the show will be met by protestors. it is called the greatest show on earth.

but protestors on peta call it the cruelest show on earth. >> if it's okay to abuse animals, then it's okay to abuse people. >> you have to stand up for them. >> reporter: the circus controversy made news earlier this month, when local actress jada pinket smith wrote a letter to baltimore's mayor, urging her to protect the elfantsz. know oar -- elephant. unlike me and other actors, elephants do not agree to perform. the mayor rebuked the actress's efforts, wishing instead that she would offer support for other pressing issues. >> i'm a fan of the circus. >> reporter: ringling brothers says they exceed all of the standards set by the usda under the animal welfare act. >> reporter: while the circus is in town, peta is looking for whistle blowers, offering a $5,000 reward to anyone if they

see cruelty to animals. >> the only way to get wild animals to perform is by using violence and intimidation. >> reporter: arena workers have recorded video behind the sceerns that has resulted in stiff fines against ringling brothers. a baltimore raven will join the fight against hunger in east africa. anquan boldin plans to travel. the four-day trip begins march 27th. in november, boldin released a public service statement, about the growing need for relief funds in that region. a new elementary school is coming to baltimore county, but not everyone is excited about it. the county school board voted in favor of the school. this despite protests from some neighbors who are concerned about traffic and parking in the area. the school is expected to open off roundwood road, within the next two to three years. time now for a quick look at some of the stories we'll find in the baltimore sun.

the penalties imposed by the nfl on the new orleans saints. former baltimore city college star, j fair is hoping to play a role in the syracuse bid for an ncaa basketball championship. and the latest on cereal made out of chia seeds. remember to look for the updated forecast, from wjz first warning weather team. right now, the famed cherry blossoms are in full display in washington, d.c. wjz is live along the tidal basin. jessica kartalija has more on the festivities under way there. hi, jess. >> reporter: hello, kai. hello, everyone. we are loving it out here. it's actually not that crowded. it's because many people thought the cherry blossoms would peak next week. and in fact, they're peaking today and through next weekend. so you have to feel for those people who made plans to fly out to washington, d.c. to try to see them. now, part of that is because arborists say they're blooming early with all of the warm temperatures that we have been

having. and the same has been happening at orchards throughout. and that has many maryland farmers concerned. >> farmer dwight bower still can't quite believe his eyes. peach and plum trees on his family's westminster farm are in full bloom. >> mid-april is usually when we will be blooming in peaches. and we're on the tail end here. these things are -- you know, watch this. that's a sign that bloom is done. that's called pedal fall. >> warmer-than-normal weather has pushed fruit trees into production. that means catching up on jobs like pruning. it's also made growers anxious followers of weather forecasts. >> if i see a 20-something on that low, i'm going to be itchy, along with every fruit grower on the east coast. >> because at this stage, cold kills. >> there's only a one-shot bloom. and we're into that now. and once that's over, if they freeze, then the crop is done. >> reporter: if cold weather

hits, there are ways to fight back. >> reporter: helicopters and wind machines keep air moving. and along with heat, there is a chance to save crops from the cold. but it can cost 10s ever thousands of -- tens of thousands of dollars a night. according to bogger, that's too much risk. and he is hoping the weather stays warm. >> and the good lord will bless us and not send us any cold weather. >> reporter: despite the bloom, cold snaps are more common in heat waves than march and april. alex demetrick, wjz eyewitness news. >> and we could see a cold snap here in maryland all the way through may. but right now, about a million visitors are expected to come down and check out the cherry blossom festival, which goes for five weeks this year, celebrating the centennial, instead of the regular two that we usually have down here for the festival. now again, guys, come this weekend if at all possible because it is absolutely spectacular. we're live here at the tidal basin.

jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> the cherry blossoms are trending. and so is jessica. >> there is exactly it. and what is it? a million people expected? >> she said a million. >> amazing. we understand. those are gorgeous. still ahead. a woman nearly drowns all because of her cell phone. wait until you hear how it happened. spend most of your day in front of a computer? well, you might need a pair of these. i'm monique griego. coming up, we'll tell you why. i'm bob turk. first warning weather center. even warmer air headed our way. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. here's today's report from wall street. turn left. not that we'd ever brag about it. turn right. come on, nine. turn left. hit the brakes.

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all right. a lot of clouds around the baltimore area. not much of maryland really. tomorrow, we may break into sunshine. and it should warm up rather quickly. tomorrow morning, in the low 50s. some fog. 66. and sunshine. and back in the upper 70s. may get to 79.

by afternoon. and the next five days, 81, with some luck on friday. good chance of some scattered showers and thundershowers on saturday. and cooling down with some rain likely. this weekend, a half inch to maybe an inch and a half of rain is possible this weekend. and then clearing out. 65, 46 on monday. mary? >> all right, bob. thank you. in today's energy saver, it focuses on make the switch to csls, -- cfl, compact floressent light bulbs. they last about 10 times longer than an old-fashioned incandescent bulb. and they say they will pay for themselves in about six months. for more information, go to wjz.com. scroll to the right-hand side of the page and click on our special section. several ohio families are evacuated after a massive boulder crashes into a nearby home. look at this thing. police say the huge boulder fell from a nearby hillside.

neighbors say they first thought it was thunder. then they heard the huge crash. crews say the boulder is about 25 feet wide. no estimate on weight right now. it will have to be broken up before they get moving. an impatient driver in florida, causes a fiery wreck at a neighborhood gas station. security cameras are rolling as a woman rushed to beat another woman to the pump, but she couldn't stop in time. the suv slammed into the pump, sparking an explosion, as you see. the station was quickly evacuated. no one was hurt. police don't plan to file charges against the driver. a michigan woman pays too much attention to her cell phone and ends up in a freezing lake. the woman was typing a text message while walking along the pier, when her family says she fell into the frigid waters. luckily, a teenage girl was walking nearby. she was able to pull the woman out. they were a little wet. but otherwise okay. in today's healthwatch, new guidelines regarding the treatment of sinus infections. most sinuss infections should not be treated with

antibiotics. that's the word from the infectious disease society of america. their new guidelines say viruses cause 90% to 98% of cases which don't respond to antibiotics and yet they are still a leading reason for antibiotic prescriptions in the united states. university of maryland doctors perform a full-face transplant. a 37-year-old man underwent surgery for 36 hours at maryland's shock trauma center. he received a new tongue and jaw during the rare procedure. the first plans transplant. doctors will release more information during a news conference next week. if you spend at least a few hours per day in front of a computer, listen up, your eyes are probably paying the price. in tonight's wjz healthwatch, monique griego explains computer vision syndrome. >> reporter: a lot of people spend their days typing and clicking away in front of a computer. >> reporter: spend between 8

and 12 hours a day, staring at computer screens all day, every day. >> reporter: and soon, michael coaler's vision pays the price. >> i started noticing my eyes were getting tired toward the end of the day, getting try. i was having trouble focusing a little bit. and it actually made work harder. >> reporter: coaler had cvs, computer vision syndrome. it's a broad term described for those spending three or more hours in front of a computer screen with certain symptoms. >> i would say it affects all age groups. >> reporter: dr. lauren gormley says cvs makes it hard for your eyes to focus. >> the big thing people will notice is that their eyes will get tired when they on the computer all the type. >> reporter: goren says taking a simple break like a 20-second break can make the difference. >> you can address the problem by putting in eye drops. >> reporter: you can also buy a pair of these.

these lenses are yellow to cancel out the blue light. >> there comes a point where you have to decide what is more important. getting your work done and being comfortable, or looking handsome while you do it. >> reporter: monique griego. wjz eyewitness news. >> doctors say the easy thing to remember is the 20/20/20 rule. which is every 20 minutes, take a 20-second break and look at least 20 feet away. >> all right. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00. for these stories and more coming up, vic is standing by with the preview. hi, kai. campaign 2012 comes to maryland. republican presidential front runner mitt romney is in town for a town hall meeting. wjz is talking about the appearance. laser portal law. cragging down -- cracking down on people who shine the light at aircraft. still to come on wjz eyewitness news. the national football league cracks down on a violence with

a record-breaking penalty. mark has details of shock wave through the league coming up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

the national football league comes down hard on a coach. sports director mark viviano has more. >> new orleans saints coach, sean payton has been suss pended one year without pay. it's a landmark punishment for his team's involvement in using a bounty system. that is, handing out extra payments as incentive to saints players who injured players on the opposing team. payton admitted to the bounty system after an nfl investigation, his one-year will cost him his salary. kurt warner, brett favre, and aaron rodgers. the league says the saints continued to pay bounties, after they were warned to stop. and the team lied to investigators when questioned.

when payton out for the year, they have to find an interim coach. >> we need to change the culture. this is another step in changing that culture. this type of behavior and accepting this type of a program is not going to be tolerate. >> reporter: also punished is former saints defensive coordinator williams. who is now with the st. louis rams. st.s gm mickey loonis. suspended eight games. other nfl news, tim tebow is tentatively traded by the denver broncos to the u.s., in exchange for draft picks. puthe details of this deal are still being worked out. the move comes a day after they signed peyton manning for their starter. tebow helped take denver to the play-offs last season. the trade to the jets, though, not official yet. more on the nfl coming up

next hour. including the ravens persuit of a ravens' pass rusher. plus the latest on orioles spring training. >> we'll see you then, mark. hundreds of homeowners in mexico are cleaning up, after an earthquake sends people into a panic. >> office workers were sent streaming into the streets of mexico city, after a powerful earthquake. throughout the country's southern region, just minutes after 12:00 in the afternoon. this worker said, it was very strong. the lights started swinging. and the photo copiers also started sliding back and forth in the office. the tremor caused a pedestrian bridge to collapse, on top of an empty transit bus, while a major woman's hospital was forced to evacuate patients. phone and power service was briefly shut down in the capital and neighboring state

of oaxaca. officials said 800 homes were reported damaged. another 60 completely collapsed. >> older buildings and buildings not constructed with earthquakes in mind could collapse. but buildings which are designed for earthquakes would survive. and it would be interior damage or cracks. >> reporter: the quakes at the center was located 11 miles underground, in the state of guerrero, near the resort town of acapulco. there, panicked tourists impeached cars as the ground shook. >> we're in the 20th floor. and everything started shaking. and the windows were shaking. and i sat on the floor. and it was very scary. i've never felt nothing like that before. >> reporter: earthquakes are not uncommon in the region. in 1985, mexico city was struck by a series of devastating quakes that claimed the lives of over 10,000 people. even though no deaths were reported from tuesday's trembler, the looming threat of

aftershocks has kept the country on high alert. in mexico city, monica villa miczar, wjz eyewitness news. >> mexico city, built on volcanic ash and clay, is particularly vulnerable to tremors. >> still ahead on eyewitness news. >> reporter: campaign 2012 comes to maryland. i'm mike hellgren at the mitt romney town hall in arbutus. and i'll explain maryland's influence on ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it's oysternomics 101. you start with a u.s. senator named ben. by helping restore thousands of acres of oyster beds, he kept hundreds of oystermen on the job... which keeps wholesalers in business... and that means more delivery companies... making deliveries to more restaurants... which hire more workers. and that means more oystermen. it's like he's out here with us. he's my friend, ben. i hope he's your friend, too.

coming up on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. mitt romney in maryland. his message to voters. who benefits? and who loses. i'm pat warren. mayor stephanie rawlings-blake outlines her new budget proposal. hi, everyone. i'm jessica kartalija. we're in washington, d.c., where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. more from the cherry blossom festival coming up. check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. ladies and gentlemen, governor, soon