coverage. inner harbor now with a big crowd. denise? >> hello, mary. hello, vic. and everybody at home. it is a beautiful afternoon. they here. yesterday, you could get on the tall ships without a problem. today, the lines stretch around. the word is out that this is the event to attend. and i must note that today, of course, is flag day. so it's a double celebration. we are celebrating the symbol of our nation. and also celebrating its independence. as you mentioned, mary, there are about 20 tall ships here from around the world. and there are a number of military vessels to remind us here that it was, indeed a battle. and there was a wonderful ceremony, a nautical ceremony here today, to welcome the captain of those ships. 40 captains from 13 different nations, i believe.

jessica kartalija was lucky enough to be there. and she's also live at the inner harbor. and she's going to tell us more about it. >> reporter: hello, denise. hello to everyone alone. talk about pomp and circumstance, that's all there was this morning around the inner harbor as the sailabration officially got under way. >> my favorite song is the star spangled banner. and i wanted her to come and see the history of the war of 1812 and everything about it. >> reporter: an international spotlight on baltimore's inner harbor, as the sailabration officially gets under way. a ceremony with maryland's top brass. >> we are officially kicking off baltimore's star spangled sailabration. >> from indonesia. captains from all 40 ships around the world, are presented with gifts. ♪ [ music ] as the naval ceremonial band plays... ♪ [ music ] visitors from around the world

commemorate the war of 1812. >> it's wonderful receiving in baltimore. i want to see everybody. >> we have something to celebrate and give to people that are probably not even aware a lot of what is going on. >> reporter: taking a live look now from sky eye chopper 13. possibly one of the best views of sailabration from high above it. and i have to say, yesterday, we floated in on the mexican ship, quatimas. and today, we hopped on board the brazilian naval fleet. i'll have much more on that coming up tonight at 5:30. denise, back to you. >> you have the best assignments, jessica. there is no doubt about it. next time, i'm getting that assignment. all right. although this is a sailabration, and there is music as you hear me playing off to my side, and there are going to be fireworks and food, and all of those things you expect in a big festival, this

is really commemorating a very serious battle that did, indeed, create the nation woo we enjoy today. and it all centers around fort mchenry. there are about a thousand troops troops troops that had to hold off. and they did it, of course. and that's where we got our star-spangled banner. and this is a celebration of by land, by sea, and by air. alex demetrick is live at fort mchenry. the centerpiece of this entire sailabration. and has more on how we're going to celebrate by air this time. >> that's right. this stood fast against a british bombardman. now -- bombardment. >> when the blue angels do a shakedown run, they tend to shake things up. getting a feel for the space over fort mchenry today came as a surprise. >> it's so exciting. we're loving it. we ran outside, as soon as we heard everything. taking pictures, video. >> feels like we have a show

just for us. makes the day really exciting employing. >> reporter: but the blue angels are staging out of martin state airport. their appearance for the star- spangled sailabration is one of the ones for summer. sounds pretty routine. >> are you kidding me? we do the same demonstration, week in and week out. every show location is unique. has its unique challenges. >> reporter: kevin greg mcworther. aerobatics like these take months of practice. >> i'm responsible for making all of the comcalls. i make the go, no-go decisions and i make adjustments for the weather. and ultimately, i'm responsible for leading the flight demonstration. >> reporter: there are also 130 maintenance and support staff. maryland native sammy holmes' job is to keep them flying. >> 66 years of maintenance, we have never canceled a show from maintenance at all. >> when they take off, we know we did our job and we did it right.

and that's the best. >> reporter: and it's a safe bet thousands of others will feel that when the angels take part in two air shows this weekend. saturday and sunday, both beginning at 1:00. denise? >> well, that's true, alex. but also, i can say that practicing starting today, and until sunday. so even if you don't have a ticket to those shows, because i believe they're sold out, the actual seats at fort mchenry. i'm telling you, it felt like they were going to blow the hair on the top of my head, they were that close. it was really exciting down here. it was like a show. >> certainly was. they would buzz the ships. goes right over the lights of camden yards. then they would go flying on by. >> you bragert. >> i know. have to always every once in a while remember, i had the honor to go up with the blue angels about a decade ago now. and it was a lot of fun. it's not lot lost on us, -- not lost on us

thaty they only practice when it is near perfect conditions. sunshine and blue skies. the sailabration forecast is going to be fantastic. let's talk about it. tonight, mostly clear. tomorrow, 80 degree or so. sunshine and blue skies. ago goodbye to be-- going to be a very, very nice forecast. and this continues during the time of the blue angels shows saturday and sunday. >> wonderful. and as i throw back to mary and vic, i will say, vic, did briefly pass out after his ride. >> wonderful nap. >> so many stories that we've heard about over the years. we need to revive that video, tim williams. [ laughter ] >> all right. thank you, both. and make sure to join us monday morning at 11:00 a.m. for a live, star-spangled sailabration special. cbs's host bob schieffer, jessica kartalija and me. we're following breaking news right now in baltimore county. a teenager dies in an off-duty confrontation with a morph. and moments ago, the death was

ruled a homicide. >> reporter: vic, that breaking news, the cause of death is asphyxiation. and his family describes him as a great student at randalls town high. he was active if rotc. active in church, in sports. and they are in shock tonight. >> reporter: the mother and aunt of 17-year-old christopher brown are demanding sorries in -- answers in his death. police say it happened in an off-duty fight with an officer in randallstown. >> he got killed. except it wasn't by a gun. it was by somebody's hands. and it was an officer who should have known better. >> reporter: police say the off- duty officer heard a bang at his front door on susannah road, saw several people running away and chased them. police say he caught up with him on starbrook road. but brown ran away again. hiding in some bushes, refusing to come out. >> so the officer reached into the bushes and pulled him out. at that point, the young man engaged in a physical fight. when the young man became

unconscious, the officer immediately began providing cpr. >> all i'm thinking, he's wondering, what does this guy do to me? >> i just still hope, even going down to the coroner's office, it won't be christopher. >> reporter: neighbors say the teenager was going door to door, asking for help. and they say it was a nurse who lives in the community, not the officer who administered cpr. >> reporter: police know of no weapons used. they also do not know if the officer was injured or if he identified himself. >> there is a lot of questions, obviously, that we have, about this ourselves. >> we have peace about where he is now. we don't have peace about how he got there. we definitely need some justice, some answers. >> reporter: while police released the victim's name, they are not, at this point, at least, releasing the officer's name. but they say they hope to be able to give us that information soon. reporting live, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> mike, thank you. the officer is on routine administrative leave. he has been on the force for nine years.

new information about the five-alarm fire that destroyed a warehouse. city fire investigators say the flames caused $1.5 million in damage. more than 120 firefighters responded to that scene monday on south broadway. they still have not determined a cause. ravens' superstar terrell suggs sets the record straight about his status for the season. more on what suggs is saying about his serious injury. mark? >> there has been speculation about how long the linebacker will be sidelined and questioned as well, about how he got hurt. suggs gives his side to the stories in owings mills today. >> reporter: the nfl's defensive player of the year limped to the microphone, with his right foot in a boot, following surgery to repair a torn achilles tendon. he's coming off the best season of his nine-year career. suggs first predicted that he'll be playing again in november. he admits now, he's not sure if that will be the case. but states with certainty, he will play at some point this

coming season. >> like i said before, when i first got injured, i will be in the baltimore raven uniform in 2012. and the only question is when. >> reporter: suggs maintains that he suffered the injury, doing a fitness test. and again, denied an ep spn report -- espn report which cited suggs got injured playing basketball. >> i didn't do it. that's not what happened. and like i said, i built enough relationships here with ozzy, my teammates. any of you call me and ask me what happened, and that's not what happened. >> reporter: what happens next is rigorous rehab for suggs, made painful by having to watch his teammates from the sideline. >> now i've never had to appreciate it so much. i've never had to sit and watch, you know, my brothers, you know, go to battle without me. so it's definitely frustrating. but it's going to be a learning experience for me. >> and suggs tells us the doctors made a smaller incision

during his surgery, which they believe will expedite his recovery. vic? >> good to hear from him. the ravens' first regular season game is september 10th. >> more ravens news. joe nacko is celebrating a new addition to his family tonight. he is now the proud father of a baby boy. has wife dana gave birth at a philadelphia hospital to steven flacco, weighing in at 8 pounds. the quarterback has been excused from the ravens' mandatory mini camp to be with his wife and his new son, who is named here after joe's father. >> yes. and bob and i hope he remembers, you don't pass the baby. >> i'm sure dana will remind him that. you can swawdz -- swaddle but don't toss it. lance armstrong fires back. the tour de france champion responds to accusations of doping. another case in the jerry sandusky trial. the disturbing testimony from the man known as victim number

6. first day as an american citizen, on flag day. i'm gigi barnett, at the maryland historical society. that story is next. perfect weather to check out the festivities downtown. don't police the updated first warning weather forecast coming up with bob. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it is mostly sunny. 80 degrees in central maryland now. the complete first warning weather forecast is coming up. two more witnesses take the stand today, accusing jerry sandusky of sexual abuse. manuel gallegus reports from the courthouse where the prosecution is wrapping up its case. >> reporter: a soft-spoken accuser, known as victim 6, told the jury jerry sandusky took a shower with him at penn

state when he was 11 years old. he said sandusky called him the tickle monster and embraced him chest to chest when they were both showering. he said he remembered seeing his chest hair, thinking it was icky. he said sandusky lifted him from the waist to the water to help rinse off the soap. he said that's the last thing i remember, it's kind of black after that. the witness says he has no memory of sandusky ever touching his private parts. after a complaint from the boy's mother, police looked into the incident. an investigator testified he heard sandusky tell the boy's mother he wished he was dead. but no charges were filed. >> there was an opportunity, a missed opportunity in 1998. an opportunity that wasn't missed just by one person, it was missed pie multiple people -- by multiple people. >> reporter: during cross- examination, the defense questioned why the accuser stayed friends friends with sandusky and his wife until last year. victim number 6 at

admitted to going to the family home, borrowing cars and sending text messages to the former septemberaant-- assistant coach. another describes sleepovers at sandusky's house when he was a boy. he testified that sandusky touched his genital while he was in bed and that he rolled over on prevent anything else from happening. he also said he loved sandusky and considered him a father figure. >> sandusky is charged with 52 counts of criminal counts. he denies all wrongdoing and could take the stand next week in his own defense. if you're waiting for somebody to get home from work, let's check in on the roads right now. here's kristy breslin at traffic control. northbound 95 is going to be a headache for you. if you're traveling in that direction, some serious congestion there from caton avenue to the fort mchenry tunnel. we have delays from pulaski highway past whitemarsh boulevard. and as far as the beltway goes, on the top side inner loop,

stop and go there. west side inner loop. 25 minutes from frederick road to security boulevard. and you're also looking at a good 20 minutes on the outer loop from 795 to security boulevard in that direction. as far as accidents go, 100 eastbound, at magacy bridge road. also conowingo road at moors mill in the harford county area. and in baltimore city, arizona avenue, at bel air road. let's now take a live look. you can see, thingsar i -- things are a bit heavy there. and we also have slowing there. harrisburg expressway. mostly in the northbound direction. that's on the left-hand side. that's around shawan road. this traffic report is brought to you by maryland live casino. the ultimate gaming destination. it's all open. for details, go to maryland live.com. back to you. >> hundreds of years of history, docked in baltimore's harbor tonight. wjz's complete sailabration coverage continues live downtown. denise has more on this international festival. hi again, denise. >> hi again, mary. and before we go on any

further, i want to correct something. i misspoke. there are actually thousands of free tickets still available for the blue angels show at fort mchenry, which is coming up this weekend. and you don't drive there, you take a free shuttle bus from m&t bank stadium. so go on the website, and there are 50,000 free seats left for that show, which should be fantastic. in any case, this incredible sale bration -- sailabration is happening. we should note today is flag day, which is a day we set aside to honor our nation and all that it has stood for. and for dozens of naturalized immigrants, they will be able to celebrate for a national holiday. >> these rt word -- are the words to a new life in america.

for them, a new journey has begun. >> can you imagine, this process has been going on for generations. and it's absolutely amazing. coming into this country and being welcomed. >> reporter: margaret amory hall is from trinidad. she started this process 15 years ago. she had a green card then. but now, this scientist make -- sift makes her sit -- certificate makes her citizenship permanent and official. >> so much to do here. >> reporter: tonight celebrates with friends and a big plate of curried chicken. >> i'm going to invite her to lunch and just sit down and talk. >> reporter: the maryland historical society president says the ceremony is sitting at the museum, which charts maryland history. >> first immigrants came here in 1634. and there were, of course, native americans already here. but that started this whole chain, this whole process. >> reporter: more than 31 countries were -- represented

today. and the maryland historical society said this was the first time that it hosted its ceremony, but it probably won't be the last. in baltimore, i'm gigi barnett, wjz eyewitness news. >> and if you are a young citizen, and you're going to come down to the sailabration, lily is here. lily masia is here. show us what you've got here. it's a passport. and how did you get that? >> because to everybody. >> every time when we go on the boat. >> all right. so that's it. thank you, lily. if you brng a young person down here, you get to pick up a passport free. and every time you go on the ship, they stamp it for you. so you can be around the world without leaving baltimore. >> i'm impressed that you were able to get up. i don't know that i could do that. [ laughter ] it's going to be a wonderful day to travel around the world here. we'll have a good forecast for

you to do that. of course, you're taking a look now at sky eye chopper 13. all of the activity for the sailabration here in baltimore. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,,,,,

welcome back live to the inner harbor. celebrating the anniversary of the 1812 war. and the national anthem that was penned by this fellow. it's amazing, francis scott key is here. >> are you going to sing? >> i could if you wanted me to. but all four verses are kind of difficult to sing. >> that's right. but you're here all week. >> yes. i'll be here until the tall ships leave. >> so people can grab you and you'll tell them about the history and your song. >> i'll tell them, whether they want to know it or not, i'll tell them. and sing it on cue, which i have been known to do from time to time, too. >> oh, say can you see ♪ >> it was a pop tune. >> that was a gentleman's song, yes. >> and from the original gentleman. >> francis scott key, to another gentleman, bob turk.

take it away, bob. >> was that scrooge? i guess not. 70 out in oakland. 69 now in ocean city. winds off the water. but it's 80 degrees. it's comfortable. nice breeze, upper 70s. nice winds off the ocean. brought in a few clouds from time to time. but it's still a very comfortable afternoon. and that will continue. high pressure to our north will govern our weather all weekend long. that means a few high clouds. but temperatures right about our slightly below normal until early next week. going to warm up. a few clouds to our north this afternoon. and during the day today, we've seen clouds coming in from the northeast. as you can see, rolling through the area. so from time to time, we've seen a lot of sun and some clouds a few of the area, you see north of the city. pockets of clouds. all in all, a pleasant weather picture, continuing all weekend long. in fact, we'll keep it pleasant. saturday, sunday, even into monday and tuesday. no rain expected.

temperatures slowly going back up. by the middle of next week, maybe by wednesday or thursday, if we could be back in the upper 80s, until then, just pleasant temperatures, all around the region. winds on the bay, at 5 to 10 knots out of the east. the bay temp around 74. tonight, clear for the most part, just a few patchy clouds. 60 degrees tomorrow. sunshine and up to 80 degrees, heading down the beach. that's a little cool right now. but ocean city, right around 70. plenty of sunshine. the water temperature came up 1 to 2 degrees. to 67 degrees. >> beautiful. no matter where you are in this area. thanks, bob. still ahead on wjz eyewitness news at 5:00. denise joins us live again from the inner harbor, with more on the star spangled sailabration. >> yes, mary. we'll be back live from the inner harbor, with more on all of the pomp and circumstance, as they arrive to celebrate the bicentennial of the war of 1812. sticking together american

history. we'll tell you how baltimore is becoming part of a national movement. i'm rochelle ritchie. that story coming up. a suspect is shot as atf agents and baltimore police arrest what they call a known gang of armed robbers. i'm pat warren, coming up on eyewitness news. more on the gang of 6. ,,,,,,,,,

it is 5:30. 80 degrees and sunny.

good evening, everybody. and thank you for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a suspect is shot as atf agents and baltimore police arrest what they call a gang of armed robbers. pat warren reports, officers and agents swooped in on the alleged gang, on clifford mills road, under the jfx. >> reporter: for three weeks, the bureau of tabacko -- tobacco, firearms, were tracking a game of six violent robbers. >> these are a group of violent individuals who were going to do harm today. >> reporter: agents and officers closed in. >> four of the individuals in a vehicle deliberately attempted to run over officers and agents. one of the agents, who was in fear of his life, and the other agents and officers around him, fired one round from his weapon at the driver of the vehicle who was attempting to run him over, striking him once in the

right shoulder blade. >> reporter: the getaway car ran two police vehicles before it stopped. officers recovered six weapons and a bulletproof vest. >> obviously a clear indication of what these individuals were going to do today. >> reporter: the atf is offering no further details on the investigation and has not said what led them to this clipper mill location. i'm pat warren, reporting. now back to you on tv hill. >> the suspect who was shot is expected to recover. all six suspects face federal charges. the search continues for the surgeon wanted in connection with a deadly shooting at a hospital in western new york. police have issued a nationwide alert for timothy jordan. authorities believe the 49-year- old shot his ex-girlfriend yesterday at the hospital where they both worked in buffalo. all of jordan's cars have been accounted for. and police do not believe he has crossed the board into canada. tour de france champion lance armstrong is being accused of using performance- enhancing drugs.

bigad shaban has more on the claims against him. >> reporter: lance armstrong is now barred from the ironman triathlon in france. the seven-time tour de france winner calls the allegations baseless. the anti-doping agency accuses armstrong of using prohibited substances, include epo, testosterone, and masking agents. the agency also says the cyclist tried to cover up violations. the 40-year-old could be stripped of his seven tour de france titles if the agency determines he took performance- enhancing drugs. and he's now banned from comfeeting in his -- competing in his new sports, triathlons until he is proven innocent. >> we have nothing to hide. everyone knows that. we have proven time in and time out that we're clean. >> reporter: the anti-doping agency said that armstrong tested positive in 2001 and the results were covered up. it also says witnesses have

testified. one of armstrong's teammates, tyler hamilton, told "60 minutes" last year that he saw armstrong use performance- enhancing drugs. >> i saw it in his refrigerator. i saw him inject it, more than one time. >> you saw lance armstrong inject epo? >> yeah. like we all did. >> reporter: armstrong had a week to respond to the charges, and an arbitration panel could hear his case this fall. in colorado springs, bigad shaban, wjz eyewitness news. >> federal authorities spent two years investigating armstrong. in february, they closed the probe without bringing criminal charges. an international celebration in baltimore waters, dozens of tall ships are docked in charm city right now, representing hundreds of years of history. it is all for the star-spangled sailabration. and wjz's live coverage continues. jessica kartalija takes us on board the ships. but first, denise is with the visitors as they enjoy the

incredible sites and sounds. sights and sounds. denise? >> well, mary, it is like a patriotic party down here. but we have to remember that we are commemorating, 200 years ago, britain, the most powerful nation on earth, had burned down towns along the way and was set to sack baltimore. and because this was a serious war and because we triumphed, we became the independent nation that we had won just 40 years earlier than that. as you said, there are people here from all over the world, ships from all over the world, visitors from all over the country. jessica kartalija has been able to talk to some of the visitors about what it means to them. >> reporter: denise, it's been absolutely incredible. one of the most interesting things has been people seeing ships from their native countries. so brazil, for one, mexico, for one. it's nice for them to be able to get on board and talk with naval officers from those countries, from sky eye chopper 13, you can see just how

beautiful everything is out here. we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to get on board and get up close and personal with these ships. >> one by one, tall ships from around the world sail into baltimore's inner harbor. brazil arrives. and so do the crowds. >> all of the people i have talked to on this ship are so cordial, so friendly. ♪ [ music ] everyone that we met in the harbor, i would recommend everyone to come to visit. >> reporter: thousands are expected to tour the 40 ships docked throughout the harbor. >> having a ball! >> i like seeing the ships. and seeing how they could dock it and like driving it. that's awesome. i keep seeing all of the people coming ticket, as one community, enjoying the day, and enjoying the anniversary. it's just a wonderful thing.

>> reporter: the sailabration is drawing national and international attention. we've seen several people speaking in native tongues, excited to see the ships from their home country. >> i feel right at home. we're speaking portuguese, with my family. i feel right at home. >> reporter: it's all to commemorate the bicentennial of the war of 1812. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: now, it's exciting, as you walk along, you look at the ships. and each one is more butterfly than the -- beautiful than the next. it is such a gorgeous day to be down here. and everyone we have spoken to has been in the best mood, having a wonderful time, getting to talk to people about the sailabration. and it's so nice to have the people coming together. from the country, from international lands and from right here in baltimore city. denise, back to you. >> well, that's right, jessica. the sailabration is being launched from the water as you showed us. also by land. last night, there were

parachuters in patterson park. and also by air. and of course, the stars was week are going to be the blue angels. luckily, they have cleared the skies right now. because sky eye chopper 13 captain jeff long is right there. i wouldn't want you competing with the blue angels for air space, jeff. >> we did that earlier in the day, but kept our distance. you may have seen and heard these fa18 hornets. they may be doing it again tomorrow. this weekend, they will be conducting their world famous flight demonstration over the middle branch of the patapsco river. you'll be able to catch these and other aerial performances, between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., saturday and sunday. if you have an unobstructed view of the skies over the patapsco river, you'll be able to see it. reporting live from sky eye chopper 13, i'm captain jeff long. now back to you. ♪ [ music ] >> reporter: all right. thank you, very much, jeff. and of course, this sailabration is taking place on flag day, today. today, thursday the 14th, is flag day. and it is also celebrating the

star spangled banner, which is why baltimore is the centerpiece, even though this is taking place in other ports in the country. it celebrates the star spangled banner and the symbol in our country. and today, the 9/11 flag made a stop in baltimore. and rochelle ritchie was there and has more on why it was here and what happened while it was here. rochelle? >> reporter: today mark marks the final stitching. and it's leaving with a significant piece of history, made right here in baltimore. >> reporter: veronica christ yanson's hands are no stranger to a needle and thread. >> i resonate with mary pickersville for sewing the flag. >> she is stitching the thread for the national 9/11 flag. >> it's a dream. it's absolutely a dream. >> reporter: in fact, like pickers gill, the stitcher of the original star spangled banner, she's been quilting all of her life. >> it is the most significant patch that i've worked on next

to the abraham lincoln patch. >> today, at the star spangled fly house, more than 100 people, including mayor stephanie rawlings-blake, came to watch the final patch become part of what is a symbol of america's resilience and freedom. >> i hope that as this flag travels around and it's been viewed, that people sense the importance of the history that is a part of the 9/11 flag. >> the flag is part of the say thank you new york foundation. the flag started out in a much smaller version. it was found at ground zero, shredded and covered in debris, from the collapse of the twin towers. >> the flag not only holds pieces of american history but also the lives lost in 9/11. >> the ashes from all of those people who were killed at the world trade center are residing in these threads of the flag. >> the flag now a collaboration of tragedy and triumph. >> reporter: and the flag will eventually be on tis play at -- display at an exhibit in new york. denise? >> all right, rochelle. you are the newest member of

our team. and may i officially welcome you to baltimore. to give you an idea of how important this city is. >> i am looking forward to sale aebrating this weekend. >> good. all right. now i'm going to throw it back to you. and mary -- mary will, of course have much more at 6:00. back to you. >> all right, denise. thank you so much. and make sure you join us monday morning at 11:00, for a live star-spangled special, hosted by bob schieffer, along with jessica kartalija and me. time now for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in the baltimore sun. a major player in the casino business. mgm is the latest group to express interest in the casino at national harbor. a boy's lacrosse team. and a guide to events in the area, marking the bicentennial, in the war of 1812. for these stories and much more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team.

it is something that most of us take for granted, our eyesight. but imagine losing it and trying to navigate in this world. tonight, the light goes off alt a special fundraiser, as awareness is turned on. >> do you want lettuce, too? or just want the cream cheese? >> it what -- it is hard to tell but mindy is legally blind. when she was 11 years old, she was diagnosed with r.p. she uses props to explain what it looks like to me. >> then it gets like this. so if i closed one eye. >> it's like you're able to see that, just a little bit. >> a smidgen. >> reporter: her parents cofounded the foundation, fighting blindness, 40 years ago, in an effort to help mindy. the foundation now has 50 chapters nationwide, driving research into retinal diseases like mindy's. tonight, she's helping to organize a fundraiser called dining in the dark. >> once everyone is seated,

they completely will blacken the room. everything has been arranged in advance so no light seeps through. >> it gives people the chance to understand what being blind really is. >> it will honor former raven and matt stover. >> they are able to play baseball. all because of the new research. >> it's about awareness and research and balance. >> reporter: mindy already helped raise $100,000, chairing the baltimore vision walk this month, clearly carrying on her parents' legacy. >> the foundation has to keep plugging away. because the answers are in sight. >> reporter: and to date, the foundation fighting blindness has raised more than $450 million. if you would like to help or just learn more information, go to wjz.com, for a link to the foundation's website. >> it's going to be an interesting event. >> yeah, they have done it in other parts of the country. i think it's the first time

they're going to do it here. still to come on wjz eyewitness news. no end in sight. homeowners ready to play from colorado's wildfires. growing investigation. new safety concerns about older jeeps and what drivers needle to know. -- need to know. i'm bob turk. nice weather through the weekend. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. well, first, here's today's report from wall street. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] with xfinity, you can always expect more. like more on demand shows and movies than ever. and more ways to discover them too. plus more speed from america's fastest internet provider. so you can run more devices at the same time. ♪ feel a firework [ female announcer ] and best of all, it keeps getting better. no wonder more people choose xfinity over any other provider. ♪ love can be so mystical ♪

gorgeous dry weather to go with the beautiful ships. but will these conditions last? we certainly hope so. bob has the five-day forecast. but first, meteorologist tim williams, or captain tim as we like to call him, is live at the inner harbor, with more on what to expect for tomorrow. >> we can expect more of the same. tonight, temperatures are going to 60 degrees. that's where we start tomorrow. just around 60 degrees and sunrise or so. and a daytime high of around 80 degrees: for the next five days, we send it in to bob. >> looking really, really nice. if you like today, you'll like the next four or five days.

not much changing. and temperature the low to mid- 80s. comfortable nights. and a lot of sunshine. really pretty much wall to wall. by the end of next week, probably getting close to 90. in today's energy saver tip, make sure your refrigerator door seals are tight. test them by closing over a piece of paper or dollar bill. if you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need some adjustment. or the seal may need to be replaced. for more information on how you can become an energy saver, go to wjz.com, scroll down the right-hand side of the page and click on our special section. a strong hailstorm rolls through north texas, leaving behind costly damage. massive chunks of ice, pummeling a pool and patio. the storm also shredded trees and toppled power lines in the

area. no serious injuries are reported. but property damage is estimated to be in the millions. there is no end in sight for a giant wildfire. so far, the high park fire is only 10% contained. flames so much more than 49,000 acres in bell view. and charred more than 100 acres. hundreds more have been forced out of their home. government safety regulators are expanding their regulation to the safety of older model jeeps. they are now looking at fire risk at jeep liberty and cherokee surfs. the concern that the gas tanks can leak and cause fires. the two-year investigation includes about 5 million vehicles. 15 people have died in 26 grand cherokee fires. a new report shows the number of cancer survivors will grow significantly in the next

decade. according to a new report from the american cancer society, the number of cancer survivors will jump to almost 18 million by 2022. because more elderly patients are living longer after diagnosis. also in healthwatch, another negative associated with childhood obesity. a new study in missouri found children who were obese in kindergarten did poorly on math tests later in elementary school. researchers say feeling sadder, lonelier, and more anxious, explains some of their poor math performance. check in with eyewitness news at 6:00 for all new stories coming up. what was happening to him is unjust and a threat to democracy. a political enemy becomes the sole voice to speak out publicly, defending controversial campaign consultant julius henson. i'm derek valcourt, i'll explain coming up on eyewitness news. and of course, our complete coverage of the star spangled sailabration continues at the

inner harbor. how america's history is being celebrated by countries around the world, right here. check in for more on these stories and the day's break news, coming up at 6:00. and still to come tonight on eyewitness news at 5:00. digs rupted flight. -- disrupted flight. two passengers kicked off a ,,,,

disruption on a delta flight. two peernlgs -- passengers are escorted off a flight after refusing to follow instructions. officers say the incident involves failing to turn off a cell phone. it was not a security issue. no charges have been filed. severe turbulence forces an emergency landing. a united airlines flight headed to new york is forced to land in louisiana. one flight attendant is in serious condition. at least five other passengers were hurt. the turbulence shook the plane, hitting the attendant against the ceiling. apparently the aircraft hit strong winds. of course, the national transportation safety board is investigating.

>> both workers were strapped inside. they were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. authorities are investigating. >> well, how do you prep for a high-wire walk over niagara falls? nik wallenda gives children a behind the scenes look today in new york on the key to tightrope success. he will be carrying a 40-pound balance bar, wearing elk skin shoes. the daredevil said he's going to be the first person in history to walk across the falls. and of course, he said he prepared right here in baltimore. >> my question is, how did he discover that elk skin was the right material? >> ancient family secret, i think. >> he's watching those elks walk up and down the sides of mountains. >> something like that. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. >> i'm jessica cartallia. -- ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

coming up on eyewitness news at 6:00. the sailabration is under way. we are live with complete coverage on the ground and in the air. i'm alex demetrick. coming up, it's not just tall ships but the star spangled sailabration. that story as eyewitness news continues. demanding answers. i'm mike hellgren in baltimore county, where the family of a teenager involved in a fight with an off-duty officer wants to know how it unfolded. their emotional plea straight ahead. >> those stories and all the breaking news coming up next at

6:00. honoring our history. [ gunshot ] >> the national celebration taking place in baltimore. >> tonight, the sights and sounds from inside the star- spangled sailabration. >> hello, everyone. i'm vic carter. >> i'm denise koch. live in the inner harbor. and we are following all of the events down here, as the sun begins to set. the music is picking up. the food is sizzling. and the crowds are packing in to witness this moment in history. we honor the bicentennial of the war of 1812. and of course, the penning of the star-spangled banner, which happened right here off our waters