coverage. jessica kartalija and mike hellgren are closely following the developments. we begin with mike in aberdeen. >> reporter: police are desperately looking for the man who took her. violet ripken, known as vi here, she was very well known in the community, not only because of her sons and her husband. but also because of her charity work. and she went through 24 hours of pure hell and the back of a lincoln town car. >> the matriarch of the ripken family, 74-year-old violet, was abducted at gunpoint by a man in her family's home in aberdeen, driven over central maryland in a town car. then dropped off on the block 24 hours later. a close friend and neighbor spoke to her after the ordeal. >> i think he followed her and watched her. why would he do that? go in the garage and wait for her? tied her up, put a mask on her, said he was going to do something else first. and told her to get in the car. he wanted her in the car. >> in her car?

>> yeah. in her car. wanted her car and money and her to go with him. >> vi ripken is the mother of former orioles cal jr. and billy, who issued a statement saying, this has been a very trying time for our family. but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us, safe and healthle. -- healthy. police say tips are coming in about the man wotook their mom. >> he was last seen wearing a camo shirt, white pants and armed. we believe he is very dangerous. >> i'm very, very distraught about this. i hope they get that guy. i think he has another agenda. >> reporter: the 74-year-old was checked out by paramedics. with no major injuries, she is now resting with family. >> she's shook up now, of course. i don't think it's really hit her yet. like probably maybe a little later. >> reporter: but the looming question tonight, was she taken

because of who she was? police cannot say at this point. they are telling us that there were no ransom demands for money. also, they have asked to the 911 calls not be released. and they are not saying whether anyone used her atm or credit cards. reporting live in aberdeen, mike hellgren, wjz eyewitness news. >> it is still an active investigation, mike. thank you. complete coverage continues live with jessica kartalija. and a look at vi ripken's prominent role in the orioles family. >> reporter: vi ripken has lived in aberdeen most of her life, living in the same home from where she was kidnapped, for almost 40 years. she had said she hoped to never leave. >> as a mother, i'd want him to play forever. >> reporter: violet ripken, affectionately known as vi, is no strange tore the spotlight. the mother to ed, billy, and baltimore's cal ripken junior.

>> what can i say about my mom? she is an unbelievable person. she let my dad lead on the field. but she was there in every other way. >> reporter: seen here throwing out the first pitch, this 74- year-old is a matriarch of one of baseball's most well-known families. one of her proudest moments when baltimore ironman, cal junior, broke lou gehrig's streak. >> i loved him because he is my son. and being where he is has nothing to do with it. doesn't sound very humble, but he really seemed to capture the world. >> reporter: vi has lived in aberdeen since her husband, former orioles coach and manager cal senior, died in 1999. she had said she hoped to never leave the area. becoming a familiar face around aberdeen's ripken stadium, vi is often seen watching ripken's little league world series and minor league iron birds game. >> reporter: vi ripken has also

been an integral part of the cal ripken sr. foundation, as well as a board member for the boys and girls club of harford county. jessica kartalija, wjz eyewitness news. >> so thankful she's doing okay tonight. thank you. here's what we know about the suspect in vi ripken's ashduction. detectives say the white male is in his late 30s 30 or early 40s. he was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt, camouflaged pants and eyeglasses. police say he should be considered armed and dangerous. anybody with information should call police. we're following breaking news out of northeast baltimore. sky eye chopper 13 is live over the scene of a sinkhole. let's go to captain jeff long with more. jeff? >> well, we're over east monument street, which is about six blocks north of patterson park. where this huge hole appeared about 1:30 today. and it's believed to be part of a storm drain cuflert for a -- cuflert for a 120-inch pipe put

in 1930. it is closed between patterson park boulevard and mun ford, while they checked this out. because there were initial reports of a gas leak. in fact, since we have been on scene, we have been asked to fly a little further, just for safety researches. reporting live from sky eye chopper 13, i'm captain jeff long. cleared of all charges. a woman is off the hook for a fight involving cleaning chemicals at a baltimore county wal-mart. denise is in the newsroom with details of the judge's decision. denise? >> all charges against ebony odem have been acted out. odem says she was attacked by her fiance's ex-girlfriend, teresa jefferson. back in october. odems testified that she initiated the fight by throwing bleach in the middle of the store. odems said she fought back because she wanted to defend

her daughter who was standing nearby. >> jefferson pled guilty in april to assault charges. she has to complete 100 hours of community service and five hours of probation. the first memorial services held today for a victim of the colorado movie massacre. the emotional tribute comes as disturbing details surface about the suspected gunman. teresa garcia reports from aurora issue colorado. >> reporter: family members and friends of gordon cowden, attended a church service in denver today. the 51-year-old father of four was one of the 12 people killed at the midnight showing of the movie theater. >> i'm sad about what everyone is going through. >> reporter: his family was seen crying at the makeshift memorial near the theater. one of his daughters wrote on a cross, "dad, it was a surreal, disorienting night. what was certain was your calling to us. i love you ." >> he was a great dad. and they were great kids.

and it's an absolute tragedy. >> reporter: before the attack happened, suspected gunman james holmes reportedly mailed a notebook, full of details about how he was going to kill people. a law enforcement source was quoted as saying, holmes consented to -- sent it to a psychiatrist but it sat unopened in a mailroom until monday. >> cbs news correspondent john miller said investigators are digitally recreating the rampage. >> they can take, say, ballistic evidence, that will actually show them the travectory of the-- trajectory of the bulletses. >> reporter: police are expected to return control of the theater to its owners on monday. for now, it remains an active crime scene. in aurora, colorado, teresa garcia. >> holmes neighbors were hoping to return to their apartments today. but investigators are still processing evidence at the

apartment. it will soon be easier to carry a concealed weapon in maryland. they find part of the law unconstitutional. tonight, adam may has reaction to all sides of the gun control debate. >> reporter: a victory for opponents of gun control in maryland. a judge issues a ruling that affects maryland's concealed carry law. >> even without this good and substantial showing, we still have one of the most restrengthed -- restricted regimes in maryland here for getting a permit to carry a gun. >> reporter: attorney gary hamsil represents a man whose permit was denied. this does not affect extensive background checks or fingerprinting. >> this ruling would only affect law-abiding sit citizens who have been found to be law abiding and has nothing to do

with the real problems the country faces, whether they are mental health problems, which affected colorado. >> reporter: colorado's shooting has renewed the gun control debate. this make its easier to get a gun carrying permit. that concerns stephanie alston. her son was murdered. >> we are teaching people that it's okay to grab a gun and start killing people. >> reporter: they call the ruling reckless. and the state's attorney's office says it is under review. >> so this good and substantial element will expire in two weeks, unless the general appeals. >> eight other states are also being challenged in court. more discussion on a push to expand gambling in maryland.

this afternoon, leaders are talking about the possibility of table games and a new casino site. governor o'malley wants a consensus to be reached before he calls on a special session this summer to tackle the issue. it's reporting day for orioles. sports director mark viviano has more on the players who arrived and what they're saying. mark? >> reporter: well, kai, the real work begins tomorrow, with the first full-squad workout. but as you mentioned, they have to get here first. today was check november in -- check-in day. bringing with them plenty of hope for what's expected to be another play-off season ahead. >> good morning. good morning. >> reporter: a good morning. and a good month for ray rice. arriving for camp after signing a new $40 million contract. a number of players showing up included the notable arrival of veteran safety ed reed. reporting for duty after another off season in which he

hinted at retirement. reed gets ready for his 11th nfl season. while the rookies on the field are getting ready for their first. a light workout for them before the full squad joins in on thursday. rookie running back bernard pierce wants to make a good impression as he fights for a job, alongside ray rice and others. >> i look forward to every practice, being able to go out on the field. and you know, do my best every day. so i'm definitely looking to turn heads every day on the practice field. also, those other two, they're good guys. and we already have a friendship. so right now, it's just competition. >> reporter: hard work and high hopes. that sums it up for both the rookies and the veterans. speaking of veterans, i saw ray rice. he's meeting with the media as we speak. ray lewis will do the same as -- this evening. back to you for now.

>> mark, thank you. the ravens' first preseason game is august 9th. >> i can't wait. we are enjoying beautiful wednesday weather. the skies are sunny. temperatures are just right as we take a live look outside. but we are gearing up for another blast of uncomfortable heat. meteorologist bernadette woods and bob turk have a look at our current conditions and the warmup coming our way. let's start inside with bob. >> today was just such a perfect afternoon. low humidity. sunshine, blue skies. but that's going to start turning around tomorrow. the heat will come back as you just mentioned. take a look at temperatures now. just very comfortable, 85. but the dew points way down in the low 50s. it was even in the lower -- upper 40s. which means temperatures in the mid-80s actually feels like the low 80s. now, tomorrow, the dew point is going to get back in the upper 60s to near 70. and because of that, with temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s, we have a heat advisory tomorrow from noon until 8:00 p.m. all afternoon. it's going to feel more like

100 to 105 in the afternoon. so please, if you have to work outside or do stuff outside tomorrow, drink lots of water. stay in the shade as much as possible. and probably stay out of the sun at all. if you california stay inside an air-conditioned place. now, we've had crazy temperatures the last couple of weeks and months. bernadette woods in the outback with a look at those numbers. bernadette? >> that's right. we've had a very hot month overall. take away saturday. this is what we have been averaging for our highs so far this month. for 2012, we're coming in at average 92.3 degrees. the number for that same stretch of time is 87 degrees. we have been above average. when you tally it up, as far as our 90-degree days, we have really added themmum this month particularly. -- them up this month, particularly. in that stretch, six have been 100 degrees or higher. look like we have another chance of that this afternoon. upper 90s to near 100. and we'll have that forecast

coming up. back inside. today's weather conditions are perfect for a famous summer tradition. organizers say about 40,000 visitors watched the 87th annual pony swim on the eastern shore. the ponies completed their trek between asseteg island and shrinka teague. each year, the ponies are auctioned off, with proceeds going to the shrinka teague fire at any point. >> it's pristine. >> every year when you see it, it's like wow. >> and all the people. >> always think about mystery of shrinka teague. >> of course. the best book in the world. sea world safety. the new video raising concerns about the popular theme park. price gouging for critical drugs in short supply. an investigation led by representative elijah cummings is front and center on capitol hill. i'm andrea fujii.

i'll explain what they found just ahead. a champion turned murder victim. i'm rochelle ritchie. the latest details on the shooting death of a former basketball star. get ready for more extreme heat. don't miss the updated first warning forecast with bob. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] virtual wallet can help you be that person who's good with money. see what's free to spend.

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it's sunny. 85 degrees in central maryland right now. the complete first warning weather forecast is coming up. charging too much for life saving drugs. representative elijah cummings wants to make sure that doesn't happen. and today, he spoke about it on capitol hill. as andrea fujii explains, the university of maryland women's basketball coach brenda frese alerted him to the problem. >> reporter: 4-year-old tyler

frees is alive today, thanks to chemotherapy drugs. he's the son of maryland women's basketball coach, brenda frese. after his treatment for leukemia, frese realized his miracle drug was in short supply and its skyrocketing price may be too expensive for other patients. >> these people are wanting to gain a profit. what would their life look like if their son or daughter was someone that needed needed this drug? >> reporter: in an investigation, pharmacists and doctors say drug shortages more than tripled in of the -- in the last six jeers. >> reporter: so -- years. >> reporter: so frese took her problem to elijah cummings. >> i received a heartfelt letter from brenda frese. >> it was selling for $500 a vial, when it typically sells

for $65. they were pushing a bill to deter price gouging as the frese family argue life-saving medications should never be out of reach. >> i can't imagine them telling us, yeah, there's a drug that's going to help save your kid's life, but it's not available. >> reporter: doctors say drug shortages often happen because the medications become generic, and profits then plummet, so there's less incentive to produce them. drug makers denying that. >> they declined to speak on capitol hill. if you're waiting for someone to get home from work, let's check on the roads with kristy breslin at traffic control. let's give you an update on that major sinkhole in baltimore city. that's really going to cause a lot of extra congestion. as you can see, east monument, six blocks north of patterson park. it is closed between patterson park boulevard and monford.

to get around that. your alternates would be madison and even mcelderly. as far as the rest of the region goes, if you are traveling 95 in the northbound direction, heavy there from 395 to the 895 split. traffic does slow down again. as you approach the beltway, well past whitemarsh boulevard. traveling on the north side inner loop, to harford road. the west side inner loop, that's been a pretty steady delay this afternoon. 20 minutes there from southwestern boulevard around to security boulevard. traveling the harrisburg expressway, slowing there. in the southbound direction, things slow down to timonium road to the beltway. as far as accidents go, eastern avenue, at simmons. wilkens street. also east pratt at charles. let's take a live look. you can see, traffic is crawling along there. approaching potee street. this traffic report is brought to you by the cochran firm. if you or someone you know has suffered a personal injury,

call 1-800-the firm. or visit them online for your free consultation. back to you. >> all right, kristy. thank you. i hope you enjoy today. two hot, uncomparable days to end the week. >> beautiful. it was actually cool this morning. 85 now. dew points up a little bit to 54 degrees. humidity, 34%. northwest winds, east. barometer holding steady. take a look at the heat returning tomorrow right after this. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

it's a great-looking afternoon. look at that. not a cloud in the sky. now, tomorrow, that blue sky we saw today is going to be a little milky because we'll have some haze. some additional humidity. moisture in the air. some pollution as well. big change tomorrow as a warm front will come through the area. temperatures going to shoot up. humidity will come back. and it's going to feel very uncomfortable by the afternoon and late afternoon. maybe a pop-up shower or thundershower. mainly north of the region. and that would actually be welcome. take a look at temps now. very comfortable.

85. 85, elkton. 78, ocean city. and 80 -- excuse me. 77 in oakland. just dropped. 84 in patuxent. 88 in washington. dew point is down. it was in the 40s now. low 50s, which makes it feel comfortable. but tomorrow, expect the dew point to be back up in the upper 60s. maybe even 70, 71 degrees. that will make it feel extremely uncomfortable. very, very tough afternoon. once again, heat index tomorrow, between 100 and 105 in the afternoon. that's why we have the heat advisory tomorrow. 82, annapolis, kent island. 84 in bel air. also, up in beautiful westminster. right now, northwest wind. tomorrow, more of a southwest or south wind. that's going to bring in heat and humidity. look at these temperatures right now. chicago is at 98. 104 issue kansas city. dallas, 100. this area of the country, literally from about illinois to the western plains, has been baking all summer. they've had hardly any break at all. at least we've had some nice cooler shots of air that

dropped temperatures for a couple of days. then it gets hot again. so we've had some of these breaks. south of us other it's been hot and humid, all summer long. >> we've had storms across the carolinas today. that cooperate that came through yesterday, now across the carolinas, will eventually come back as a warm front. and that will be overnight. tomorrow, we'll see a few clouds. most of the activity for us will be thunderstorms. we think in the afternoon, there will be a chance north of the city. and friday, a better chance for the entire region. scattered thunderstorm activity. any of them can be strong. it will start to cool down with more cloud cover. it will be hot the next two days. south winds, 10 to 15. gusts to 20 knots. and a small craft advisory. tonight, pleasant 60s. maybe low 70s in the neighborhood. low 60s for a while. humidity coming back in. and temperatures bouncing right back up in the mid- to upper 90s. some bank thermometers will definitely say 100. and it's going to feel it as

well. >> we will adjust, i guess. >> it's only two days, though. >> okay. >> bob, thank you. still ahead at 5:00. rescue at niagara falls. the dramatic outcome of a police chase near the tourist attraction. four days of anger. violent demonstrations continue in california. why the protests are paying off. millions of potential tax dollars up in smoke? i'm pat warren. coming up on eyewitness news. an epidemic of cigarette smuggling. [ male announcer ] now at your neighborhood subway:

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kkk it's 5:30. 85 degrees and sunny. thank you for staying with wjz eyewitness news. here are some of the stories people are talking about tonight. a basketball community is in mourning after one of its own is shot and killed in west baltimore. the shooter, still on the loose. wjz is live at city police headquarters. rochelle ritchie has more on the victim. >> the victim was a basketball player. tonight, his friends are trying to understand why anyone would try to shoot him. and police are on the hunt for the shooter. >> baltimore city police are investigating the shooting death of 23-year-old brandon sproule, a former basketball player at walbrook high school. monday night, around 10:30, brandon was hanging out on the corner of baker and mcking, with two other people, when he was robbed of his belongings and his life. >> when they were approached by two black males, one armed with

a gun. >> reporter: police say sproal was ordered to his knees and told to husband his -- put his hands behind his head. that's when he was shot. the other two victims got away. >> they found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the back of the head. >> reporter: brandon heard the news. hit him like a ton of bricks. >> it breaks my heart completely. >> reporter: he and his brother played under him and led the team to two championships. bridges describes him as a tenacious player with a quiet spirit. >> this kid has had a job since he was in high school. always earning his own keep. always making its own wage. >> reporter: bridger says the shooter not only robbed him of his life but an entire family. >> is a child that has been robbed of a father. there is a brother who has been robbed of his only brother. >> reporter: neighbors who heard the gunshots ring out monday night, fed up with the violence. >> terrible. don't want the kids to go

outside. scared they might get shot. >> reporter: police say they do have a few leads but need the community's help in getting justice for brandon. >> we need people to come forward to help us get him often the streets. >> reporter: and brandon's shooting death is especially hard for many because his mother died a year ago. kai, back to you. >> rochelle, thank you. if you have any information, you're asked to call baltimore city police. a man drowns in a pond in prince george's county. according to firefighters, 21- year-old khalif richardson was seen going into the pond on old stagecoach road in laurel. but no one saw him resurface. once the district heights man was pulled out of the water, medics administered cpr, but he was pronounced dead at a hospital. a police chase ends at the bottom of the niagara gorge in canada. denise is in the newsroom with more on the dramatic chase and rescue. denise? >> well, kai, it all started when a driver refused to pull over. the chase ended when the driver and canadian officer fell over

a retaining wall. they plunged to the bottom of the gorge. the officer who suffered a broken leg was airlifted to the hospital. but the wanted man was discovered dead. it is not yet clear why the officer was pursuing. >> the niagara river flows through the gorge. and the iconic falls are more than a mile away from the accident scene. a just released video is reigniting a debate over safety at sea world. the disturbing 15-minute videotape shows a whale attacking its trainer during a performance six years ago. >> reporter: when whale trainer ken peters dove into the water, he was ready for the finale of this 2006 sea world show in san diego. instead of the planned spectacle, where the trainer is launched into the air, capsacka, a 5,000-pound female whale, grabbed him by the ankles, thrashed him around and pulled him to the bottom of the pool. >> it goes on and on and on. it must have been terrifying. >> reporter: david kirby wrote "death at sea world" about

whale attacks at the park. he believes cap dlat sacka was agitated by the cries of her nearby calf. >> imagine being a mother and you're not allowed to go comfort your child. you have to perform a show. it might make you angry. >> we see capsacka pull him down to the bottom. and she brings him back up and you think, thank god, she's not going to kill him. and he's trying to remain calm. and you don't know what is going to happen next. then she decides to go back down. >> reporter: when peters finally managed to free his foot, he turned for safety. capsacka came after him. peters, now with a broken foot, barely manages to get away. a california safety investigator says if someone hadn't been killed already, it is only a matter of time before it does happen. and it did happen. four years later, when trainer dawn brancheau was drowned by a killer whale. this past may are a judge ruled sea world trainers have to stay out of the water, unless sea world can adequately protect

them. the park appealed but lost last week. >> reporter: and the judge in that case called the video chilling, as he upheld a government panel's recommendation for trainers to stay out of the water. by the way, the trainer in the video, ken peters, still works at sea world. a u.s. attorney will review two deadly police shootings that sparked intense protests in anaheim, california. mayor tom tate says he will meet with members of the u.s. attorney's office, and the tib on friday to review the cases. the decision comes after protestors rallied for a fourth day, setting fires and smashing store front windows. police say they had to fire bean bags and rubber bullets to control the crowd. an election year tax showdown is taking place on the senate floor. democrats are pushing a bill that includes president obama's goal that includes couples earning $250,000 a year or less. but republicans want to push bush-era tax cuts for all income earners.

if they can't come to a decision by the end of the year, all americans will be paying more taxes. cracking down on cigarette smuggling. and as political reporter pat warren reports, aggressive enforcement is netting results. >> reporter: marylanders who smoke them if they got them, but can't afford to buy them, are driving the market for smugglers. >> that old expression of why do you rob banks? that's where the money is. why do you smuggle sig relative. >> that's where the -- cigarettes? that's where the money is. it's very lucrative. >> reporter: since july of last year, 196 people have been arrested for smuggling nearly 326,000 packs of sig relatives, valued -- cigarettes, valued at $2 million. this may be an unintended consequence of the state's cigarette tax hikes. >> clearly, the discrepancy between north carolina which has a 4 cents per pack tax, and maryland, which has a $2 per pack.

that discrepeansz is the opportunity for these criminals to make money. >> is there something to open the trunk? >> reporter: aggressive action nearly doubled the amount of cigarettes seized in the past month, compared to the previous year. >> we believe we are only a small portion of people running up and down the highways every year. in fact, 40 people a day left this neighborhood to travel vara to-- virginia to pick up cigarettes. >> reporter: a bill to increase fines from $50 a carton to $150 a carton passed the house this session, but died in the senate. the comptroller says it will come back again next year. i'm pat warren, reporting. now back to you. agents also confiscated $92,000 worth of beer, wine and liquor in the same 12-month period. baltimore's summer restaurant week is off to a tasty start. sneak peek. people dined on dishes served up by a variety of eateries.

the advertisers pitted restaurant against restaurant. the taste testers then voted for their favorite. now, restaurant week officially kicks off this friday and runs through august 5th. for more information, log onto wjz.com. time for a quick look at some of the stories you'll find in tomorrow morning's edition of the baltimore sun. more on the 87th annual chinga teague island pony swim. and the towson tigers football team heads into the football season with big expectations. for these stories and more, read tomorrow's baltimore sun. and remember to look for the updated forecast from wjz's first warning weather team. it is a big day at the maryland zoo in baltimore, thanks to cbs ecomedia, elephant insurances. and wjz tv. new energy-efficient lighting has been installed. ron matz has more on a brighter day for giraffes at the zoo. everyone loves the giraffes at the maryland zoo. they're 16 feet tall. but their home is nearly 50

years old. zoo ceo don hutchinson told me. and an appreciative crowd, a makeover is under way. >> we put about $150,000 in the giraffe house a year ago. but we didn't have enough money to address some of the lighting issues that we've had. >> that's changed with the cutting of a green ribbon, celebrating the insprawlation of a new energy-efficient, l.e.d. lighting. >> this is providing better illumination. providing a better living situation for the giraffe. and it's saving the zoo money. >> the public-private partnership, include wjz, elephant insurance, and cbs ecomedia. >> we are investing all the time. and we can take this for the community. and giving back to the maryland zoo. >> how are you doing, bud? >> with 18-inch tongues. >> on a daily basis, he

receives about 20 pounds of alfalfa hay. also receives about 10 pounds of grain. >> they'll be able to see that food and their home better now. a brighter day for the maryland zoo, for everyone. >> we need to continue to focus on making the park, and specifically the zoo, a main attraction of baltimore. >> ron matz, wjz eyewitness news. >> and a retro fit includes updated lighting for zookeeper service. areas of maryland's zoo, baltimore founders in 1876. it is the third oldest zoo in the united states. >> all right. still ahead on eyewitness news. it's all a hoks. who is behind this fake kidnapping in a grocery store parking lot? olympic gridlock. the confusion and congestion in london as the summer games begin. i'm bob turk. the first warning weather center. more hot temps headed our way for a couple of days. i'll have the exclusive first warning five-day forecast. here's today's report from wall street. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

two local institutions get together to celebrate a mid-

atlantic treat. as mike schuh reports, there is more uses for old bay than just for crabs and crab cakes. >> reporter: you just know it's going to be a good day when this truck shows up. guess, just guess what is inside. sebastian, the chef at alonzo's, was not expect a big visit from the spicy truck, when he went about creating new recipes, using old bay. >> we're a baltimore establishment. it is fun to do something without sounding cheesy. but for the public. >> the spice company challenged restaurants to come up with new old bay menu items. >> so our summer is all about celebrating our true love of the city. and our true love of old bay as part of the city. >> reporter: and coming up with five new ones, including an ice cream. but best in his mind, a variation of a favorite. >> peachy keen crab cakes were what i was most excited about. because it's a lot of unique flavors that normally wouldn't be paired together.

>> so today, a prize giving 70 pounds, one for each year old bay has been produced, was given to chef sebastian for a men yao heralded as the-- menu, heralded as the best by secret judges. alonzo's had a great example from peach crab cakes to chocolate ice cream. >> it was pretty neat. yeah, pretty neat to be part of something. again, that's just -- it's baltimore. >> in north baltimore, mike schuh, wjz eyewitness news. >> and more than 30 restaurants in the region participated in making new recipes, using old bay. >> we can just put it in your hand and eat it. but you shouldn't do that. but it is that good. all right. it is salt. we couldn't ask for better weather outside tonight. our conditions are perfect, with sunny skies. but there are big changes on the way. bob turk has the five-day forecast. but first, meteorologist bernadette woods shows us what we can expect tomorrow. hi, bernadette. >> hello, kai. and i think sometimes, i like

old bay better than the crabs. i don't know about you guys. but this is what we've got going on tomorrow. we begin the warmup. start the day in the 60s. but as we head into the afternoon, we are close to 100 degrees. humidity will start to build once again. and a heat advisory will be in effect. tomorrow evening, the slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm. but that really will increase as we head into friday. for more on that, here's bob. >> what did she say? all right. let's fix that. 99 degrees. feeling more like 103 to 105 in the afternoon. heat advisory tomorrow. thunderstorm threat. friday and again on saturday. 98, still humid. 87, dropping on saturday. sunday and monday, looked pretty good. 87 and 90. and also, lower humidity by the second half of the weekend. mary? >> bernadette has beautiful eyes. we need to see them more. so do you, bob. in today's energy saver, experts recommend installing a programmable thermostat. the average household spends more than $2200 on energy

bills. but you can save an average of $200 a year by using a programmable thermostat. for more information, go to wjz.com and click on our special section. a suspect in the ohio bridge bomb plot agrees to testify against his co- defendants as part of his plea deal. 35-year-old anthony hane pled guilty today in exchange for leniency. hane was one of five men charged with plotting to blow up a bridge, using fake explosives planted by the fbi. if convicted, the defendants could face life in prison. charges are pending after a possible abduction in upstate new york, turns out to be fake. surveillance tape from a grocery store porking lot -- parking lot led police to believe a man forced a woman into the trunk of his car. but a 17-year-old and two juveniles came forward a short time ago, claiming responsibility for that hoax. denise is in the newsroom with a preview of what's coming

up. >> matriarch of the ripken family, abducted from her own home. complete coverage of the vi ripken case. thousands lost power when the violent storm tore through maryland. wjz speaks spliewfl -- exclusively with the man at the center of the storm. bge's president. now, back to mary and kai. >> denise, thank you. still to come tonight on wjz eyewitness news. secret stowaway. a little boy outsmarts airport security. how he flew from england to italy, without a passport or plane ticket. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

ashes spewing from a volcano in southern japan erupted late tuesday. ashes covering roads, forcing them to close the cogisha city. it erupted over 600 times this year and is expected to continue. no evacuations have been ordered. but are possible.

catch him if you can. an 11-year-old boy hops a flight without a passport or plane ticket. his mother lost him tuesday afternoon, while shopping about two miles from the manchester airport in england. an airport spokesman said the preteen went to the airport, snuck past security and was on a plane halfway to rome before anyone realized it. once the boy arrived in italy, he was sent back to england. the manchester airport is investigating. doctors say pollution could make it difficult for some to breathe. the pollution could trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath in athletes with asthma. one clean air group has set up more than 100 stations across london to keep track of pollution levels. special traffic rules also go into effect today, causing some confusion and congestion for drivers. bigad shaban shows us how it is completely changing the way drivers get around the city. >> reporter: new traffic rules are in place for the olympics.

and london drivers, like cabbie john kuhrtis, aren't happy. >> for a fare or route that may normally take you 20 minutes, what do you think it might take you now? >> an hour. >> 30 miles are blocked off for olympic athletes and vips only. >> there are plenty of nice hotels in stratford that the olympic delegates could have stayed in. they didn't all have to stay in park lane so their wives or mistresses could go shopping. >> reporter: if cars or taxis veer into the lanes, there is a $200 fine. curtis says the special lanes will cause even more congestion. and that will mean higher fares. >> there's always the fare. they'll say, let me out. >> reporter: road signs explaining the new rules are up throughout london. but there's already some confusion. when olympic traffic is light, the signs change, saying regular drivers are allowed

back in the lanes. >> reporter: many are now allowed to take public transport a. >> on a daily basis, there is always a delay with the underground. >> reporter: london has major congestion problems, even when the olympic games aren't in town. but so far, british transportation officials are pleased. >> i can't suggest that traffic in the area we're concerned about is down by almost 14%. >> reporter: drivers are asked to be patient and keep a stiff upper lip. bigad shaban, wjz eyewitness news. britain also relies on its traffic cameras to spot infraction, so many people won't know they have been ticketed until the bad news arrives in the mail. we know how that feels. >> yeah. still ahead on eyewitness news. >> ripken matriarch abducted. i'm mike hellgren in aberdeen. who took violet ripken at gunpoint? the 24 hours of pure hell for her, and how authorities finally found her. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,

coming up now on wjz eyewitness news at 6:00. 24 hours of terror. cal ripken's mother, abducted at her home. the latest on her kidnapping and the abduction. this is a constitutional right. >> i'm adam may. the changes to gun control on all sides. coming up. this is mark viviano, in owings mills.

the ravens arrive for the start of training camp. ray rice has a new contract and high expectations. we'll hear from the star running back when eyewitness news continues. picture perfect wednesday evening. but the heat is coming back soon. don't miss the updated first warning forecast. >> check in for these stories and all the day's breaking news. >> wjz eyewitness news at 6:00 starts now. kidnapped. the mother of cal and bill ripken, abducted from her home. >> tonight, where she's found. her condition and the search for the suspect. >> hello, everybody. i'm denise koch. >> i'm adam may. vic carter is off. here's what people are talking about tonight. >> vi