for decades. it's in the 900 block of reisterstown road. the fire started around 4:45 this afternoon. we had a crew headed to the scene, and we're going to write you the latest developments as they become available. a recent trip to new york turns into a big headache for a baltimore county couple. their car was broken into at the park and ride in white marsh. they say several other cars were also vandalized. abc 2 tells why they blame mta for opening a crime of opportunity. >> reporter: mega bus is the cheap and easy way to get to new york city. this husband and wife made the trip this past weekend for the long july 4th holiday. they parked their car at the park and ride in white marsh, but they had their concerns. >> just by looking at this form, we had the grave concern because this is like an invitation for a crime to happen. >> reporter: the form they're talking about is a parking pass all mega bus customers have to fill out if they're leaving their car at the park and ride.

it requires people to write in their departure and return date. if they don't comply, their karr will be ticketed or towed. >> even if somebody wasn't planning a crime scene, this could be an invitation to break down. it basically says this car will be unsupervised for a number of days. >> reporter: and good enough, when they got back from new york, their car was broken into. glass shattered everywhere. not to mention a bigger fear that the person who broke into their car got ahold of their registration with their personal information on it. >> when we were driving home, we had the concern, we had the thought in our heads, hopefully our house is fine. and yes, our house was fine. but we're thinking clearly, you give this indication to people, don't even rush. we're not coming back until this date. take your time. go in and do whatever you want to the house. >> reporter: several mega bus riders we spoke with say they felt uncomfortable leaving all that information on their dashboard. so some made their own signs.

this one simply says mega bus. others left nothing at all. >> it's like leaving your home and leaving the sign on the door, i'm not here now. have at it. i'll be back in a week. >> reporter: a spokeswoman for mega bus says the mta requires the parking pass as part of their agreement to use the park and ride. the mta declined to give an on- camera interview say thanksgiving were too busy, an explanation that isn't good enough for victims of a crime that could have been avoided. >> remove this there is no need for anybody to display this information. >> reporter: in white marsh, linda so, abc 2 news. >> and an mta spokeswoman later told us over the phone that their agency will contact mega bus to work on improving the pass. yesterday i told you, today was going to be a little cooler. take a look at some of the temperatures across the region from the weather net, only available on abc 2. manchester at 76 degrees 68977 in

reistertown. 75 in columbia. laurel 78. 80 in edgemere and arnold at 7 degrees. as far as the forecast for the next couple of hours, partly cloudy skies, temperatures will be mild, in the mid- to upper 70s. but they will be cooler by tomorrow morning. so how long is this nice weather going to be lasting? the complete forecast coming up in a couple minutes. >> thanks, norm. a handful of people smuggled in bomb-making materials into dozens of federal buildings. the good news, though smugglers were federal investigators and it was only a test. the bad news, they had no trouble slipping past the guards. abc's pierre thomas shows us how it was done. >> reporter: in this exclusive video, watch closely as a congressional investigator walks live bomb components right by security in a federal building. compromised in 27 seconds. >> it's stunning. it's shocking it just says that basically some people have forgotten the lessons of 9/11. >> reporter: in fact, investigators went to ten

federal buildings in undisclosed locations across the country and got the same results. and here is the result of what could have happened, potentially deadly explosions. >> this federal protective service to me has got trouble from top to bottom. >> reporter: investigators found this guard sleeping at his post, learned that a guard accidentally fired his weapon while pulling it out in the bathroom. discovered that one guard was so distracted, he actually ran a baby in a carrier through an x-ray machine. >> the central issue i see in this whole really major problem is lack of training. >> reporter: homeland security officials say they take the results of the investigation very seriously, and have taken short-term and long-term steps to address them. with 9,000 federal buildings to protect, they have to. pierre thomas, abc 2 news, washington. >> this year the state comptrollers office has been crack down on the smuggling and sale of illegal cigarettes and

alcohol. today comptroller peter franchot announced the final numbers for if fiscal year. the fiscal year ended june 30th, and comptroller agents issued 113 cigarette violations, confiscating more than $850,000 worth of cigarettes. this year the comptroller's office with the partnership with federal authorities also seized a large amount of alcohol. franchot also says nearly 1.1 million of delinquent sales was also collected by the office, all of which goes to the state's general fund. a downtown baltimore nightclub closing its doors. but the iguana cantina is just getting a makeover. the club will be turned into an upscale bar called mojito's rum bar. back in may, a police officer was maced at that club. now taking a look at tonight's top stories. a second person here in baltimore has died from the h1n1 virus, or the swine flu. according to the department of health and mental hygiene, the

person had some serious underlying medical conditions. 170 people nationwide have died from the virus. details on this individual will not be released to protect the privacy of the family. police in nashville now say nfl star steve mcnair's 20-year- old girlfriend killed him before killing herself. investigators say they may never know what was going through sahel kazemi's mind when she shot mcnair, but it's clear it was murder-suicide. they believe he was asleep on the sofa when she shot him. she shot him twice in the chest, then in the head and then turned the gun on herself. the gun was found underneath kazemi's body. parent and students are upset tonight over close ogg of a catholic high, a rally was held earlier. parents say they didn't know the school was closing until their kids found out about it on facebook and told them. the diocese claims low enrollment and a tough economy.

sheila dixon is welcoming towson catholic students to check out city schools. >> we have a number of high schools in baltimore city that i think could be very beneficial to some of the students who are not going to be able to attend there. >> diocese has scheduled a meeting with parents next tuesday to help them make plans to attend other schools. school bullying turning deadly. still ahead tonight, what moms, dads, and anti-bullying advocates need to do to put an end to it all. which airlines have seats for less than $100. a dull metal clanking sound. bear groans. ♪ ominous music ferocious growling. roaaaaaarrrrrrr!!!! ♪ whistling bluegrass tune

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mixed bag on wall street. the dow jones up almost 15. s&p down 1 1/2. the nasdaq up 1. here is something to take advantage of. an early start to an airline ticket sale that you don't usually see until the fall. discount carrier southwest, airtran and frontier set record low prices on $100 on many of their short routes. you'll have to act fast. the sale only lasts for just a few days. and if you're not getting one of the cheap seats, your family's summer vacation could cost a small fortune. a few easy ways you can cut the price of your next trip almost in half.

>> reporter: i'm megan spring until the abc 2 newsroom. if you haven't done it yet, check out our financial survival guide. everybody is trying to save money now, and there is free advice every single day. new stuff you can find. for example, learn more about the side everythings of the recession. the one sign that fewer babies will be on the way this year. plus, how to turn your age into an advantage. don't let the years slow you down in the pursuit for that perfect job. all that information and a whole lot more is available every single day on abc2news.com. i'm megan pringle, abc 2 news.

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school bullies. practically all of us have come across at least one. unfortunately, dealing with them is often a rite of passage through childhood most of if

time. but what happens when bullying brings childhood to a tragic end? viviana hurtado picks up the story. >> reporter: lynn walker. >> reporter: walker told lawmakers her life changed forever this past april. this working mom was cooking dinner while her son was in his room. she checked on him thinking he was doing homework. >> i found him hanging by an extension cord tied around his neck. he was 11 years old. >> reporter: walker is calling for measures that would improve school safety and prevent violent behavior such as bullying. she says her son carl ended his life because he was bullied at his new school. verbal taunts that he acted gay escalated to being shoved and death threats. walker says she immediately informed the school, but was told the situation would resolve itself. psychologists say for kids to learn, schools need to be safe places. >> a child who is afraid at school, a child who is humiliated in the hallway, does it really matter how good my instruction lesson is?

>> reporter: anti-bullying advocate say schools, families, and students need to stand up. >> if even one kid stands up and tells a friend why don't you say something with me, i think it's the kids who can make a difference for the kids. >> reporter: bullying starts in preschool, making this call for action according to advocates that much more urgent. >> the most important thing i learned is that bullying is not an inevitable part of growing up. it can be prevented, and there isn't a moment to lose. >> reporter: experts say this tragedy points out that antigay insults have become a central part of bullying, whether the student is gay or not, as was the case with carl. viviana hurtado, abc news, washington. now the forecast certified baltimore's most accurate. here is chief meteorologist norm lewis, and maryland's most powerful doppler radar. >> take a look at this video out of new york state. we've actually been spoiled by the nice weather we've had here lately. but getting back to the summer storm damage that can left

behind. heavy thunderstorms and hail that got down to trees and utility poles, and folks there reporting seeing dime-sized hail. it's just been so nice here. >> we have been so fortunate. we see the severe weather to the north of us, down to the south over the carolinas. both north and south carolina have had just torrential rainfall. and we've been sitting in the cat bird seat. >> how long will it last? >> that's the big question. >> drop the other shoe. >> but we'll take it. we had a beautiful day today. a nice night on tap. another nice day tomorrow. friday night and saturday, we could see some showers. but we do need the rain. >> we haven't had any in a while. >> reporter: your shot from harbor cam overlooking the downtown area. the harbor of taxis and ferries making their way around the inner harbor. our temperature at the airport still 79 degrees. 34% humidity. wind from the northwest at 7. the pressure 29.92. temperature-wise across the area, it's 76 in york. 81 in hagerstown. 79 in easton.

68 in oakland. ocean city at 81. 79 in atlantic city. and philadelphia heading up to get a cheese stake right now it's 79 degrees. satellite pictures throughout the day. lots of sunshine. but several things are going on. now overnight during the late- night hours like 10:00 last night, very weak cold front came through the region. and that's the reason today was less humid. it was also cooler. and throughout the day, that area of high pressure, as weak as it is, continued to make its way through area. and that's what gave us the nice day. down to the south, here is the shower activity over the carolinas. this is an area of low pressure that is in the process of getting organized. we're going to find this little area of low pressure sitting right down in this region. it's going to try to make its way on towards the north and east. and as it does so, it's going to increase our chance for showers. but that's not going to be coming until the end of the week. meantime, that shower activity will make its way off the eastern seaboard. right now nothing showing up on maryland's most powerful radar. nice clear scan across the renal. we're expecting to stay that

way until late friday night, actually early saturday morning. as far as what is going on with our interactive radar, at abc2news.com, you can take a look at it, 24/7, 365. when you click on the site, take the right-hand column and scroll on down. that's what it's looking like right there. if we zoom on out, you'll see there is not much happening, though we do see some showers over the carolinas, and showers back here over chicago and portions of illinois. but something we can also take a look at if we scroll back here. you see near the top, it says tornado alley, right here on the left. you click on tornado alley. what that does, it brings up a map of the united states and shows you where severe weather is currently taking place. now right now they've had some severe weather taking place in a moderate risk of it over the portions of the dakotas. right now not much else going on, but they are expecting heavy thunderstorms to develop overnight. the tornado chasers are usually displayed on that map when they

are chasing tornadoes. you can click on them and actually see live streaming video. and again, it's available on your computer 24/7, 365. now our forecast for tonight, mostly clear skies. a few little light clouds. they're going to be dissipating as the evening goes along. a mostly clear sky. the all the shower activity will stay to the south over the carolinas, and once we get along to friday, a little area of low pressure will be forming, moving in our direction. as we see by friday evening, we should be precipitation-free. but late friday night into essentially saturday morning, that's when we'll see the showers and thunderstorms. here is your forecast for the overnight period. mostly clear, an overnight low of 58 degrees. during the day tomorrow, partly cloudy, still below normal temperature. the high of 80 degrees. that's your 2-degree guarantee. for tomorrow. here is your extended outlook for the next seven days. the 80 tomorrow, followed by 81 on friday. partly cloudy on friday. but very late night, actually early saturday morning showers. the showers will continue through saturday and sunday, with again, moderate temperatures. and on monday, we start to clear up with partly cloudy skies.

same thing on tuesday and wednesday. temperatures gradually warming up. but still below normal for this time of the year. we'll be back at 6 with more on the weather. >> thanks, norm. well, open louis vuitton opening its doors at the towsontown center. thelegendary restaurants will open in the fall. and it's not too late to find that hot deal on your family's summer vacation. abc is working for you tonight. pay attention. tips to help you cut the vacation bill in half. >> reporter: the countdown is on for the local family. >> you know what? that goes in here. >> reporter: in less than 16 hours, lynn, peter, briana, and julianna of brookline, new hampshire start their two-week offer. destination sunny florida. but before they take off, let's

take a look at how they got to this point. lynn is a part-time psychotherapist, and peter works full time at a pharmaceutical company. he has survived a couple layoffs. >> thankfully peter is still working, which is good, because you never know what might happen. >> reporter: so a reasonable budget was top priority when they started planning. >> when we got the camper, we go why don't we drive down to disney and stay at the campground. >> reporter: a decision that cut their costs by half and gave them more time. instead of 4,500 for one week, not including airfare, it's now two thousand for 12 days. >> it's huge. it's huge savings. well, here we are in our rv. >> reporter: by using the camper they owned, they were able to keep costs low, spending $350 on gas, and no money on a hotel. next stop aaa. >> so we have ten days worth of pass. >> reporter: here lynn saved more money by using aaa's

travel agency to get free tour books and maps. how else can you save? tip number 1. plan early. if you have already taken your vacation this year, now is the best time to start planning for next year. >> you're actually going to get a better rate by booking early and not waiting until the last minute. >> reporter: number two, use the fuel cost calculator. here you can find out your total gas costs as well as plan your stops along the way. number 3, pack light. >> avoid putting items on the top of your car. this helps to increase the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. >> reporter: we're back with lynn, spending only $123 at the supermarket to supplement what they brought from their home pantry and freezer. after packing up the camper, the local family adventure begins. are we ready to go to disney? >> yes! >> reporter: peter drove the entire 1400-mile trips himself with two overnight sleeping stops in maryland and south carolina.

once inside the magic kingdom, briana and julianna were all smiles. ♪ and to help you save some money your next trip, we posted a link to the fuel costs calculator on our website, right there on abc2news.com. not a bad idea, huh? >> not bad. see you in the camper, kelly. with a look ahead to abc 2 news at 6, questions tonight about a deadly light rail accident that left two teens dead. what a top mta official is saying about what happened. and talking trash. what you need to know about the city's new one plus one collection schedule. and here is a preview of what is ahead on world news. >> coming up on "world news," a federal building compromised by a large bomb in a matter of seconds. officials say it's stunning evidence that lessons of 9/11 have been forgotten. disturbing video that has people asking if our homeland is really safe. fios guy! where ya headed?

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well, the real world cast and crew got a taste of reality in the d.c. area. >> yeah, i didn't know if he wanted -- [ inaudible ] >> fans and bloggers of the reality show came out armed with cameras and cell phones in hand. and now the show's crewmembers are finding out that every move they make will be watched and recorded. >> it's the first time, i think, that real world has had to deal with twitter. and it's not -- it's not good for the real world people. >> social networking sites like she mentioned twitter, facebook make it easy to actually stalk their favorite television stars, making reality all the more real. welcome to the real world, real

world. what the city is doing next to crack down on animal abuse. details on that story and abc 2 news at 6, which starts right now. >> now abc 2 news at 6. >> reporter: we're following a couple of breaking news stories tonight. first from baltimore county, good evening. i'm marybeth marsden. crews are on the scene of a two- alarm fire at a pikesville landmark. it broke out around 4:45 this afternoon at the suburban house restaurant that is in the 900 block of reisterstown road. at this point, apparently most of the fire has been put out. firefighters are trying to battle the hot spots right now. and that section of reisterstown road is closed. this also will create a traffic jam around that area. we have a crew headed to the scene. we'll continue to bring you more information as it becomes available. and more breaking news to tell you about. fire officials are on the scene of a natural gas leak in east baltimore. it is underneath a bridge on